OUT OF THE DEADLOCK: Tackling the backlash of gender equality with progressive tools

Policy Brief 2 2015

Europe is witnessing a new backlash against gender equality. This backlash rejects the term ‘gender’ itself, undermining the achievements of gender equality.

The backlash against gender equality is not a mere side effect of financial crisis. It is part of a conscious strategy to create a conservative society. Some Conservative and Far Right movements are unifying in Europe to learn from each other and to develop a common strategy in mobilizing against the concept of “gender”. Hence, the biggest challenge for progressives is to find ways to respond to the opponents of gender equality and to stand up against fundamentalist activism.

This policy brief is offering five policy recommendations for the progressives to tackle the backlash of gender equality. The recommendations have been developed in the framework of the FEPS-FJJ-Boston University collaboration – the Transatlantic gender dialogue – with an outcome of a publication “Woman Up 2”.

Read the Policy Brief