Project description
A closer look at the anti-gender backlash and strategies for a democratic pushback
Gender equality is an ongoing struggle, and there is still a long way to go to achieve full equality of rights and opportunities between men and women. In the meantime, a new movement against gender equality is gaining traction in Europe. The EU-funded PushBackLash project will identify the strategies used by this movement and study the effects of anti-gender discourses, focusing on parties, social media and public opinion. In addition, the project will develop and test counter-strategies that can effectively counteract anti-gender and anti-feminist discourses. To develop sustainable solutions, the research team will bring together gender activists, EU experts and researchers from several fields such as political science, anthropology, communication and media, philosophy, sociology and social psychology.
Objective
The goal of PUSH*BACK*LASH is twofold: (1) Firstly, to systematically inquire into the present-day contestation of gender equality issues and policies at both elite and citizen levels. Approaching democracy from a global feminist perspective, we employ a rigorous, comparative, multi-method design (e.g. experiments, surveys, interviews, participatory theatre). Our project enables: (a) identifying anti-gender strategies as well as best practices in counter-acting them across space and time; and (b) assessing the effects of anti-gender discourses by focusing on parties, social media and the public opinion. Secondly, to (2) develop and test strategies that can effectively counteract anti-gender and anti-feminist discursive strategies. Aiming at supporting the quality of democratic governance in more inclusive European societies, we acknowledge intersections between gender and other social categories at all stages of the project (composition of consortium and advisory board; theory formulation, empirical investigation, and policy recommendations) and thus engage with stakeholders. To develop sustainable solutions, we bring together gender activists, EU experts and researchers from several fields of political science (political theory, public policy, political parties, public opinion, political behavior), anthropology, communication and media, philosophy, sociology and social psychology. PUSH*BACK*LASH is a transdisciplinary, gender-diverse consortium aiming at equipping pro-equality actors with practical toolkits for responding to anti-gender equality and anti-feminist discursive strategies and backlash tactics.
Fields of science
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation ActionsCoordinator
5020 Salzburg
Austria