An Article by VU IIRPS Researcher Dr Gražina Bielousova Has Been Published in the Prestigious Journal “Women’s Studies International Forum”

An article by Dr Gražina Bielousova, a researcher at the Institute of International Relations and Political Science of Vilnius University (VU IIRPS), entitled “What remains: Crisis, neoliberal capture, and care among Moldovan feminists”, has been published in the prestigious journal “Women’s Studies International Forum”. The publication is part of a broader study covering five Eastern and Central European countries experiencing Russian aggression or the threat thereof.

The study examines how left-wing feminists in five countries in the region perceive their social and political role in the face of the threat of Russian aggression. The author emphasises that both leftism and feminism are often considered “foreign” in this region – leftism is associated with the Soviet past and suspicion of Russia. In contrast, feminism is often associated with a perceived Western influence. Nevertheless, the focus on inequality and social inclusion raised by these ideologies remains highly relevant.

“Feminists operating in these tensions feel the need to clearly articulate their contribution to state-building, community care, and structural justice—both for themselves and for society,” says Dr G. Bielousova.

The author emphasises that Moldova is one of the least researched countries in Europe. The information available about it usually appears as “crisis statistics”: gender-based violence, poverty among women, migration, vulnerable work, etc. Therefore, this study aims to move beyond the crisis discourse and view Moldovan women as active political actors, rather than merely recipients of support. There is still a lack of discussion in the academic field regarding Moldovan women as decision-makers who theorise their own social reality.

The article argues that Moldova is not only a country in crisis but also one that is often associated with crisis. This view reflects the broader experience of Eastern Europe, which historian Ivan Berendas calls “history off the rails”. “In Western and regional discourse, Moldova is often constructed as a ‘failed state,’ a weak democracy, a moribund economy, or a fragmented society. However, this image ignores the energy of civil society, informal care networks, local women’s movements, and their ability to use Western support for their own purposes, rather than just implementing externally designed programs,” says the author of the article.

The article also examines the dual role of non-governmental organisations in Moldovan feminism. Dr G. Bielousova argues that, on the one hand, NGOs provide women with the opportunity to formalise their activities, obtain funding, develop long-term projects, and thus achieve more visible and stable social change. Formal status allows them to both cooperate with and confront institutions, and to have feminist work more recognised and integrated at the inter-institutional level. However, the logic of funding often depoliticises feminism: most support is allocated not to advocacy or structural change, but to service provision, turning organisations into “firefighters” of social problems rather than analytical critics of their causes. In addition, donors set priorities and performance indicators that do not always correspond to the needs of local women and require that the results achieved be easily “accounted for”. However, much of the care work at the heart of feminist activism cannot be captured in reporting tables – it therefore remains invisible to funders but is essential to the community itself.

Overall, this study contributes to efforts to incorporate the perspectives of Eastern and Central Europe into international left-wing feminist debates, where the region often remains invisible or is perceived solely through the lens of Russia and the Soviet Union. This is particularly relevant in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine, as global left-wing narratives often adopt Russian rhetoric about “anti-colonial struggle,” thereby indirectly silencing the voices of feminists in the region.