ABSTRACT

In their recent book Rising Tide,1 Ronald Inglehart and Pippa Norris contend there is an inexorable tide leading towards gender equality in nations that have undergone modernisation and transformation into post-industrial societies. This chapter takes issue with this optimistic finding, highlighting issues related to gender equality, feminism and backlash against social change. While gains may be made for a variety of reasons – including domestic women’s mobilisation, institutional responsiveness at the national level, and the forces of political globalisation and transnational feminism – such gains are not static nor necessarily permanent. Counter-mobilisation related to regime change, forces of partisanship, sometimes coupled with religion, as well the effective use of symbols and slogans, may reinforce traditional values related to women and act as a brake on progress towards gender equality.