Researchers from the University of Wrocław co-authors of international publication on Women in Populist Rhetoric
At the end of July 2025, the prestigious publishing house Routledge released the monograph Women in Populist Rhetoric, edited by professor Agnieszka Kasińska-Metryka and dr Karolina Pałka-Suchojad. This publication makes a significant contribution to research on populism and political communication, focusing on how women are portrayed, instrumentalised, and represented in populist rhetoric across different regions of the world.
The book explores a range of phenomena, including the use of the image of the “ordinary woman” in political narratives, the construction of national identity through specific representations of femininity, rhetorical functions assigned to women—both as victims of the system and as its defenders—and the ways in which populist leaders, both male and female, build stories about and around women.
Among the chapter authors are seven researchers from the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Wrocław, whose contributions form an integral part of the volume:
- Does gender matter for populism? Communication of populist political actors in Europe regarding women’s rights and their participation in politics: dr Paulina Barczyszyn-Madziarz and dr Róża Norström examine the image of women in identity politics discourse, showing how populist rhetoric embeds femininity within a broader cultural and political context. Their analysis focuses on the Swedish populist landscape and how the Scandinavian model of gender equality is reinterpreted by populist political actors.
- Spain: the positioning of women in Vox’s political programme: dr hab. Małgorzata Madej, together with dr hab. Małgorzata Anna Myśliwiec (University of Silesia) and dr hab. Karolina Tybuchowska-Hartlińska (University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn), address the topic of women’s activism in Central and Eastern Europe as a response to populist narratives.
- France: populist right-wing parties on women: dhab. Marzena Cichosz, prof. UWr, alongside dr hab. Elżbieta Szyszlak, prof. UWr, and dr hab. Małgorzata Podolak, professor at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, analyse the language used to depict women in the rhetoric of right-wing populist movements—ranging from idealisation to marginalisation.
- The Netherlands: dr hab. Magdalena Mikołajczyk, in collaboration with dr Małgorzata Pacek (Centre for Europe, University of Warsaw) and dr Edyta Chrobaczyńska-Plucińska (Commission of National Education University in Kraków), investigates how populism utilises traditional gender roles to legitimise authoritarian social agendas.
- Germany: benevolent sexism and women’s role in AfD’s narrative: dr Marlena Piotrowska, together with dr hab. Katarzyna Kamińska-Korolczuk, Professor at the University of Gdańsk, and mgr Aleksandra Kamińska (University of Gdańsk), explores the visual and media language employed in political campaigns, where women become vehicles for specific cultural values.
The book presents an interdisciplinary approach to the subject of women in populism, combining perspectives from political science, sociology, media studies, and gender studies. It includes case studies from Poland, Hungary, Sweden, the United States, Latin America, and the Middle East. This is a valuable contribution to the international debate on political language, the role of women in public life, and the rhetorical strategies employed by populist movements.
Congratulations to all the contributing authors on their scholarly achievements—we wish you continued success in your academic pursuits!
We encourage readers to explore the publication, available at the following link: Women in Populist Rhetoric – Routledge.
Date of publication: 5.08.2025
Added by: M.K.
