How women are being recruited and radicalised by the far-right
Inside the recording with Lois Shearing of a new episode for The Bunker podcast, exploring how and why the far-right recruits women
What if radicalisation wasn’t a pipeline, but an ocean?
What if instead of an opening that we stumble into, or a rabbit hole that we tumble through, hitting different extremist ideas along the way, far-right recruitment was something much more vast, something we all occasionally dip our toes into, or stride out for a swim, before realising we’ve drifted much further than we thought?
That’s what Lois Shearing, author and journalist tells me on The Bunker Podcast, as I interview them about their fascinating new book, Pink-Pilled: Women and the Far-Right. Lois and I discuss how and why the far-right recruits women, and why women join these spaces.
Lois spent eighteen months infiltrating these shadowy (and not so shadowy) communities—on TikTok, YouTube, Telegram, Mumsnet and Reddit—unpacking how and why these movements are recruiting women.
The book - and interview with Lois - fascinated me, because I could never understand why women could be drawn to a movement that views them as property, seeks to restrict their autonomy and is often terribly violent towards them. Nor could I understand why the far-right - for whom misogyny goes hand in hand with the racism and chauvinism they extol - would want female members. What purpose do they serve?
Shearing’s insights were a thoughtful and analytical look into the recruitment methods of these communities, and how women are a necessity for the legitimacy, propaganda and stated aims of these groups. Our interview demonstrated the importance of vigilance in the sort of content I consume online, and led me to reflect on the things we as a society should do to prevent women taking a dip in the murky waters of the far-right.
You can listen to my interview “From 'femcels' to 'tradwives' – How the far right radicalises women online” on The Bunker podcast here. Do let me if you enjoyed it.
At The Lead we keep a watching brief on the activities of the far-right in the UK and beyond, see all our coverage in The Drift. From debunking the comments of Musk and Farage to exploring the seaside towns where the far-right have begun to surge. Help support our coverage in this area by considering a subscription to support The Lead’s coverage.