Moralpanik eller geopolitik? – Genderbashing som auktoritärt legitimitetsskapande

This thesis examines parliamentary debates in Uganda from 2013 and 2023 in order to draw conclusions about whether the space for genderbashing has expanded over time. It also explores whether genderbashing can be understood as a strategy employed by authoritarian regimes to seek legitimacy and maintain power. Drawing on theories of authoritarian legitimation, autocratic genderwashing, and genderbashing, the study applies a qualitative content analysis combined with Carol Bacchi’s "What’s the Problem Represented to Be?" (WPR) approach to parliamentary records (Hansard). The findings indicate a clear expansion of genderbashing over time, characterized by increased overpolitization. The overpolitization takes the form of moralizing statements and divisive friend-enemy constructions. The study contributes to research on contemporary authoritarian legitimation strategies and highlights how gender-and sexuality-related issues are mobilized in an instrumental manner.