Gender-based Violence in Russia: Attempts at Securitisation by NGOs 2000-2020

Abstract

Certain types of gender-based violence, like domestic violence and sexual violence, have been a widespread problem in Russia over the last two decades. As the Russian government is increasingly reluctant in its attempts to solve this, especially when paired with international interference, Russian NGOs focused on women’s rights have had to reach out to other resources in their attempts to secure women from gender-based violence. This thesis contributes to the debates on the role of NGOs in such ventures and on the circumstances in which this happens by researching how and in which domestic and international contexts Russian NGOs have tried to securitise women from gender-based violence on a domestic and international level between 2000-2020. Using securitisation theory as a framework, the thesis analyses the domestic context, international resources, and securitising moves of several NGOs. It finds that NGOs have had to deal with the growing emphasis of the Russian state on traditional values, diminishing the urgency of the issue. By reaching out to foreign media and international organisations, the NGOs have tried to convince a variety of audiences of the danger of gender-based violence.