Rhetorical attacks on gender equality machineries in Spain: lessons for studying the new backlash

Abstract

AbstractThe far-right political party in Spain, Vox, devalues women’s policy machineries through its critical rhetoric about gender and equality policies. This note puts forth two rhetorical strategies utilized by the party, ideographs and victim contests; and it argues that these strategies communicate to the public that women’s policy machineries are not necessary or appropriate. Consequently, the party’s rhetoric has noticeably challenged the previous consensus in Spain around using women’s policy machineries to improve and save women’s lives.