This paper explores the intricate interplay of vulnerability, care, and resistance in the context of anti-gender movements in France, drawing on a qualitative case study conducted in France, based on data from 30 in-depth interviews and 4 focus groups with feminist and LGBTIQ+ activists, academics, journalists, and civil society members. The rise of these movements, entrenched in historical legacies of Catholicism, secularism, and colonialism, underscores systemic violence that manifests through verbal harassment, physical assaults, and legislative measures restricting rights. Participants highlight the compounding effects of intersectional oppression—racism, sexism, and queerphobia—that shape lived experiences of isolation and resistance. Amid a continuum of violence, care emerges as a dual practice of self-preservation and collective solidarity. The findings emphasize the psychological and material toll on individuals targeted by anti-gender rhetoric, while also showcasing grassroots strategies to foster safer spaces, build communities, and resist systemic erasure. These acts of care—mutual aid networks, inclusive education initiatives, and intersectional feminist mobilizations—subvert the dehumanizing narratives propagated by anti-gender movements. The paper contends that rethinking vulnerability through a lens of care and intersectionality offers a powerful framework for resisting systemic violence. It advances a critical understanding of care not as a passive response to oppression but as a transformative act of resistance, forging solidarity across differences and reclaiming agency in hostile environments.

This presentation is part of the RESIST project's panel "Care, vulnerability, and resistance: Subverting ‘anti-gender’ politics in Europe" for the 12th European Feminist Research Conference (At Gender 2025) "Contemporary Feminist Liberation Struggles: Bodies, Borders, and Intersections" organised by Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, July 9-12, 2025).