Call for Papers for Research Workshop

‘‘Watchful’ Women: Transnational Right-Wing and Socially Conservative Women’s Activism in the Twentieth Century’

University of Strathclyde, Wednesday 12 May 2027

This research workshop explores socially conservative and right-wing women’s activism in the twentieth century, with a particular focus on exchanges and connections within and between different global movements and organisations. With funding support from the Leverhulme Trust, the workshop will be held at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, on Wednesday 12 May 2027.

In the context of an increasingly vocal far right in many contexts around the world, questions about the relationship between gender and the far right remain deeply relevant. This workshop concentrates on the concepts of ‘connection’ and ‘exchange’ to examine the relationship between different forms of socially conservative and right-wing women’s activism. While some socially conservative women’s groups embraced right-wing or far right politics in the twentieth century, others opposed them or remained ambiguously silent. Socially conservative and right-wing women’s activism involved extensive transnational networks across the twentieth century, but these could be fraught with tensions and contradictions.

Papers related to these themes (broadly conceived) are invited in relation to any geographical context in the twentieth century.

Topics might include (but are not limited to):

• Transnational networks, exchanges and travel within right-wing and/or socially conservative women’s activism
• Relationships between different organisations 
• Comparative approaches
• Responses to the far right and fascism 
• Role of religious organisations
• Anti-communism and anti-socialism in women’s organisations
• Ideas of vigilance and ‘watchfulness’ 

Participants will be asked to give a 20-minute paper (in-person only) and to submit a one-page summary in advance of the workshop to help stimulate discussion.

This workshop is part of a Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellowship on ‘Fighting the Red Menace: Irish Women and Global Anti-Communism, 1919-1939’ (ECF-2024-610). Some funding may be available to support accommodation and travel costs for speakers.

Please submit a 200-word abstract and short biographical paragraph to anna.lively@strath.ac.uk by 20 January 2027.