The role of neoconservative religious leaders in vaccine hesitancy and gender-based violence

28 Nov 2021

What does vaccine hesitancy have to do with gender-based violence?

A relevant aspect to be considered in vaccine hesitancy is the role of neoconservative religious leaders. More than isolated cases, since the beginning of the pandemic there are reports across the world of religious leaders denying the veracity of the virus, rejecting social distancing measures and, more recently, promoting conspiracy theories involving vaccines. More specifically in regards to gender, their discourses also attribute the emergence of the virus to hard-won feminist victories in the fields of sexual and reproductive health and rights, and gender equality.

In Nigeria, for example, a country with one of the largest Christians and Muslims populations in the world, people under the influence of religious leaders fall prey to these falsehoods, contributing to vaccine hesitancy in the region and affecting the autonomy of women.

Fake news produced by these leaders have also targeted the WHO. In a direct attack, they have claimed the World Health Organisation is promoting communism because of its position as a champion of universal access to health. These leaders have also been calling for the organisation’s defunding, contributing to a global campaign to discredit it. There are far more reports of demonstrations against vaccines, social distancing and masks than in favour of vaccine equity—a clear indicator these efforts have had an important effect.

Vaccine hesitancy is just one aspect of a larger scenario of abnormality created by the pandemic: an environment favourable to authoritarianism and corporate capture which reinforces the traditional gender social order.

On the 16 days of activism inspired by the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the #Fem4PeoplesVaccine campaign partnered with the International Network to End Violence Against Women and Girls (#INEVAWG) to ask some important questions.

#Fem4PeoplesVaccine #GBV #IDEVAW #INEVAWG