The CIMCYC’s Psychology Social Change Lab has recently published two studies on the role of men and alliances between various groups in the defence of reproductive rights and access to abortion, in collaboration with the Jagiellonian University in Kraków and the University of Warsaw. Both studies focus on analysing psychosocial processes that help us understand what motivates people to protest against the recent restrictions on abortion in Poland and the US.
The relevance is undeniable: we are witnessing a rise in conservative forces that has crystallised in landmark judicial decisions, such as those of the Constitutional Tribunal in Poland and the Supreme Court in the US, which have drastically limited access to abortion. In this context, understanding how alliances are forged and what motivates privileged groups (such as men) to show solidarity is crucial to the success of social movements for equality.
Ideologies, motivations and forms of cooperation
The first article, led by Lucía Estevan-Reina (University of Málaga) and Soledad de Lemus (University of Granada), together with colleagues from the University of Warsaw, analyses the ideologies and motivations that specifically lead men to support these causes in three studies involving a total of 937 men. They used longitudinal (tracking over time) and cross-sectional surveys in Poland and the US to measure variables such as sexism, political identity and motivations.
The results show that men who identify as feminists or with the movement against restrictions tend to support the protests both directly and indirectly, driven by a genuine desire for social equality. However, ‘benevolent sexism’ (paternalistic beliefs that idealise women in traditional roles) can also lead men to support protests in the short term out of a desire to protect (‘paternalistic motive’), but this support is often fragile and does not challenge the underlying power hierarchies.
The second article, led by Anna Potoczek (University of Warsaw) and Marcin Bukowski (Jagiellonian University), broadens the focus to examine threat as a trigger for political participation and the formation of intergroup alliances between women and men across five cross-sectional studies. It investigates how the perception of a personal threat to reproductive rights drives women and men to seek support from other groups, such as the LGBTIQ+ community or the opposite gender, to strengthen intentions for collective action.
Specifically, it analyses two forms of cooperation: recategorisation (feeling like a single, united group) and coalition (collaborating whilst maintaining separate group identities). The study by Potoczek and colleagues highlights that, for women, coalitions (where one’s own identity is maintained whilst collaborating with men or the LGBTIQ+ community) are more mobilising than attempting to dilute differences into a single identity. Furthermore, it was found that alliances between women and the LGBTIQ+ community are particularly strong in both countries, as both groups share experiences of discrimination and similar threats to their autonomy.
The findings have been published in internationally renowned scientific journals such as the Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology and Group Processes & Intergroup Relations. In short, these studies demonstrate that the fight for reproductive rights is not merely a ‘women’s issue’, but a battleground where strategic solidarity and diverse alliances are the most powerful tools against the erosion of human rights.
References:
Estevan-Reina, L., & de Lemus, S., Górska,P., Potoczek, A., Śmieja-Nęcka, M., Gurbisz, D., y Bukowski, M. (2025). “Your Bodies… Your Choices?”: Ideologies and Motivations That Drive Men's Support for Abortion and Feminist Protests in Poland and the USA. Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, 35,5. https://doi.org/10.1002/casp.70153
Potoczek, A., Bukowski, M., Estevan-Reina, L., Gurbisz, D., Stafiej, A., & de Lemus, S. (2025). “Abort the government!” Alliances between diverse groups and collective action intentions as a response to threat evoked by abortion bans. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 28(7). https://doi.org/10.1177/13684302251328035
Contact at the CIMCYC
Soledad de Lemus Martín (@email)