Neo Fascism, The Right and Women – a Phenomena

“Feminism isn’t about making women strong. Women are already strong. It’s about changing the way the world perceives that strength.”

– G.D. Anderson 

They say that a woman running a country is a disaster building up on itself, but why? For decades now, women have started to take the global stage as leaders and have held some of the most important positions in the world. Constantly being criticized for their incapability based on one fact – gender. Now in these positions, if a woman is to go down a different path or make an unwise decision she would be open to more scrutiny. “Self Fulfilling Prophecy” is a psychological term used to describe an event where the targeted group conforms to the prejudiced norms attributed to them which in this case would be poor governance. This constant questioning by the patriarchy has indirectly caused the phenomenon of the rise of women leaders pro right wing, in order to reach that level of power they’ve had to resort to extreme measures to be able to govern equally with a man in a system built to pull them down. This of course does not justify a woman’s decision to govern pro right and bring the rest down with her, but is definitely one that needs to be studied. 

There are two ideologies to be discussed here that have shown extreme prevalence in governance in the hands of women. Neofascism advocated extreme nationalism, opposed liberal individualism, attacked Marxist and other left-wing ideologies, indulged in racist and xenophobic scapegoating, and promoted populist right -wing economic programs. The right wing is a political ideology that adheres to conservatism, private ownership and a more traditional view to society. Historically across the geography of the world, the patriarchal system has been dominating society for millenia now. For a woman to be able to govern herself was a feat in itself, and in today’s world it still is. No matter the growth and development there has been to women’s rights, none of them have ever been achieved at the bare minimum level. To work their way up the ladder till the pedestal men had to be put on, women had often decided to either consort to certain social norms and supposedly move a step up or to be pushed down the bottom of the rung every single time. To believe in feminism and their own non majoritarian ideologies would be a strike too many with the male ego. Systematic right wing movements provided that very first step on the ladder and some took it while that also harmed the essence of the feminist movement per se as it is detrimental to the women around them.   

“Italians have sent a clear message in favour of a right-wing government led by Brothers of Italy,” Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister of Italy. She has been politically active since she was a teenage activist in a neo fascist party’s youth wing in Rome. Aged 19, she was filmed as a party activist in 1996. “I think Mussolini was a good politician. Everything he did, he did for Italy. And we haven’t had any politicians like that in the past 50 years,” she told French TV. Meloni and her government continue to be conservative, anti – LGBT and quick to use authority to target those that disagree with them from media to institutions. 

As Britain’s first ever and longest serving female prime minister, Margaret Thatcher had led the Conservative Party to victory in three general elections. She was the original “Iron Lady” known for her unwavering commitment to her conservative politics. To the point there was a political ideology named after her known as “Thatcherism” that represents a belief in free markets and a small state. She was known for her ideas of Victorian beliefs, traditional family and opposition to same sex, diverse families including those of different cultural backgrounds with the want to keep Britain white.

Recently as of 2025, Japan elected its first female Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of the Liberal Democratic Party. Nicknamed the “Iron Lady” for her admiration of Thatcher, Takaichi is known for conservative views, including her opposition to same-sex marriage and a growing demand to allow married women to keep their maiden surnames. Although she served as minister for gender equality, she opposed changing a law that enshrines male succession to the throne and is against same-sex marriage, and is a nationalist known for advocating a more militarily assertive Japan.

Marine Le Pen is a prominent French politician and the leader of the National Rally party, formerly known as the National Front which is a  far-right political party in France. She is currently going through an embezzlement trial that will determine her right to participate in the 2027 elections with claims of her being a part of an organized crime system of embezzlement of European parliament funds from 2004-2016. Although she claims it is nothing but a “witch hunt” to prevent her from running in the elections, there were still a total of 2.9 million pounds unaccounted for during her term as a member of parliament. 

Sheikh Haseena was one of the longest serving female Prime Ministers of Bangladesh. In 2024, after mass protests she fled the nation and has since been in self – imposed exile in India. She was sentenced to death by a special tribunal in Dhaka on 17th November 2025 due to the crimes against humanity committed during her regime. Up to 1,400 people were killed during the weeks of protests leading up to her ousting, most by gunfire from security forces, UN human rights investigators said. As part of the Awami league that has since been banned from participating in the elections, she along with her administration became stagnant and corrupt. 

Indira Gandhi was the first female Prime Minister India had seen and made a lasting impact on the politics that continued in the country. A time period known as the “Emergency” was during her term, it was a halt of democratic proceedings of the country under special circumstances of internal conflict. The state of emergency carried on from 1975-77 with direct control to the centre, unlawful arrests, censorship, halting civil rights and encounter killings took place. 

These are real life cases that are proof this phenomena has continued even decades forward. There is no doubt that these women had to deal with not only the challenges patriarchy has placed on them along with their rise in power, it also caused them to incline to certain power dynamics they were conditioned into which has not left an overall positive impact on the perception of women as leaders.