Care Crisis, Anti-Gender Authoritarianism and Feminist Possibilities

The care crisis, erupting at the height of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, exposed the female body and care labour as critical sites for system management. Anti-gender authoritarianism, through increased violence and patronage of a traditional patriarchal gender order, is on the rise globally, seeking to keep women in ‘their place’. How can feminism, which has so far pursued a liberal approach of integrating into mainstream society, confront this transgression? Guided by this question, the article probes into the patriarchal division of labour, which is at the heart of the care crisis and anti-gender authoritarianism; assesses gender mainstreaming for its capacity to deliver equality; and ends with a reflection on feminist possibilities for emancipatory praxis in responding to the new challenges.