Women and nationalism in Poland: Defending the dignity of Polish women

Abstract

This article aims to explain the role of women involved in right-wing political parties and explore how women themselves legitimise the politics of exclusion through their political involvement. Its main assumption is that, on the one hand, Polish women in politics eagerly benefit from the feminist legacy in their own political careers, and, on the other, as representatives of right-wing political parties with traditionally antifeminist agenda, they significantly contribute to the radicalisation of politics.To show the discursive intersections of gender and nationalism and their impact on the public discourse, I analyse narrative strategies applied by Polish right-wing female politicians in their public, media, and parliamentary appearances. I claim that, having access to and control over public discourse, Polish right-wing female politicians play a prominent role in social mobilisation and, thereby, make an important contribution to the nationalist surge that sweeps Poland.