Attack on democracy? Anti-Gender-Movements in Europe

Gender and equality policies of the European Union have been a success story for several decades. The gender mainstreaming strategy and many anti-discrimination directives set the framework for human rights-based and participatory policies. In recent years, however, right-wing populist movements have developed throughout Europe and mobilize against gender politics and sexual self-determination. The obtained rights and practices of open democratic societies, for example in the area of sexual and reproductive self-determination, are challenged and antifeminists want to reduce them. Right-wing populist parties in the European Parliament are more present and are increasingly influencing the debates. Well-connected transnational parliamentary groups abuse the parliament as a stage to erode the base of EU gender politics and thus a piece of feminist success story.

The articles in this dossier describe which ideological sources current anti-feminism is based on, which actors mobilize in mostly international networks, which strategies they use and how this affects European countries and the EU politics in total.