Gender Equality Conflicts in Europe

Over the past two decades, conflicts over gender equality have become a key dynamic in European politics and societies. While legislative and institutional advances have promoted gender parity, reproductive rights, and LGBTQI+ inclusion, these gains are increasingly contested by (transnational) anti-gender movements, right-wing political actors, and reactionary civil society groups. These conflicts unfold not only within national contexts but also within the European Union (EU) and its institutions. Thus, these disputes, visible in parliaments, on the streets, and across digital platforms, reflect deeper contestations over democracy, social cohesion, and cultural identity.

From Poland’s rollback on reproductive rights to transnational anti-gender campaigns targeting the Istanbul Convention, from polarising debates on gender-based violence in Spain to clashes over gender-inclusive language in Germany and anti-LGBTQI+ policies in Hungary, the European landscape is marked by both progress and regression. These developments call for a closer examination of the actors, narratives, and institutional contexts shaping these conflicts as well as for comparative perspectives that capture these social and political dynamics across Europe.

The Agendis research project “Gender politics and (anti-)gender discourses – between progress and regression” is funded by the Gerda Henkel Foundation since 2023. We analyse the political and public discourses on reproductive and productive rights in Germany, Ireland, Poland and Spain. Information on the research project: https://www.uni-flensburg.de/en/ices/projects/social-transformation-conflicts/gender-politics-and-anti-gender-discourses-between-progress-and-regression-a-comparative-discourse-and-policy-analysis-in-four-european-countries

The section ‘Sociology of Europe’ of the German Sociological Association (DGS) is the scholarly forum for the sociological analysis of Europe as well as European integration and for advancing this field from theoretical, empirical, and methodological perspectives. Website of the section: https://soziologie.de/sektionen/europasoziologie