Ruby YS Lai
Globalizations, 1–20 (2026)
Abstract: This article explores the gender outcomes of political transitions by investigating gender politics in Hong Kong from the colonial era to the post-2020 period. By drawing on official documents, media reports, and empirical studies, this article illuminates the mutually constitutive nature of political processes and gender politics. It analyzes the complementary, but conflicting, relationship between feminist movements and pro-democracy activism during the pre – and post-handover eras and exemplifies the recent emergence of a patriarchal authoritarian gender regime, alongside the political transition, after 2020. In addition, it proposes the concept of the ‘politics of existence’ to capture how progressive women’s groups respond to the shifting political climate. This article argues that gender politics are inseparable from political processes and state-society struggles, as they can facilitate both democratic and authoritarian regime-building, while these processes also shape the trajectories of feminist activism, which faces the risks and opportunities arising within these sociopolitical (re)configurations.
About the author: Ruby YS Lai is a HYI Visiting Scholar from 2025-26.