Authoritarian Populist Politics, Politico-Religious Extremism, and Violence Against Women in Post-War Sri Lanka.

Despite the implementation of progressive national policies and the adherence
to numerous international conventions aimed at eradicating gender‐based
violence and violence against women, incidents of violence against women in
post‐war Sri Lanka are on the rise. This research delves into the intersection of
post‐war populist politics supported by religious extremists and the resulting
violence perpetrated against women, as well as its repercussions on women's
well‐being. We are interested in locating the specific mechanisms through
which religious extremism, authoritarian populism, and violence against women
are connected. Our findings indicate that post‐war populist politics, backed by
Buddhist religious extremists and the post‐war Sinhalese‐Buddhist hegemonic
state's re‐building project, have generated dialectical relationships with Sri
Lanka's minorities—Tamils and Muslims. These relationships are partially
enacted through different forms of gender violence. This has consequences for
all women. As successive confrontations deepen, the deterioration of these
relationships exacerbates the likelihood of violence and reinforces a culture of
impunity.