Published papers

Protest hesitancy remains a significant barrier to participation in social movements. This article examines how gender shapes protest hesitancy and how it can be strategically leveraged to overcome it by analyzing the Flower Demo movement against sexual violence in Japan. Interviews with 72 participants reveal how the movement's feminization of tactics, strategies, and leadership helped overcome protest hesitancy. First, Flower Demo's feminized protest actions countered stereotypes of protests as masculine and combative. Second, Flower Demo decoupled protests from politics by emphasizing inclusive goals and emotional strategies, in which simply showing up signified success. This addressed the norm that one should remain apolitical and avoid criticism and pressure, particularly for women. Third, Flower Demo's participatory leadership structure challenged the perception that activists exercise autocratic leadership. This research illustrates how normative masculine views of social movements suppress broader participation and how gender can be used as a resource to overcome protest hesitancy.