Hello world!

Across Europe, new coalitions are emerging in universities, civic networks, and policy arenas to address the growing challenges posed by anti-gender movements.

In this autumn edition, we highlight three key events which examine these dynamics and their implications for democracy and equality:

• The Push*Back*Lash "Forum on Democracy and Gender Equality" in Salzburg, where researchers from our project presented their work and discussed the anti-gender backlash and responses to it with policymakers and civil society.
• The EU Cluster Meeting in Brussels, which strengthened collaboration among Horizon projects on gender and intersectionality and relevant stakeholders.
• The Conference "Resisting the Backlash: Defending Intersectional, Decolonial, and Postcolonial Feminisms" in Dresden, where participants debated how anti-gender narratives intersect with broader political, digital, and cultural transformations.

Read on to find out more about insights, strategies, and reflections from across Europe.

On the 25th of September, the Push*Back*Lash project hosted the "Forum on Democracy and Gender Equality" at Paris-Lodron University Salzburg as part of its Year 3 Conference. The event brought together researchers, policymakers, educators and civil society actors for a full day of dialogue and exchange focused on resisting anti-gender backlash and defending democratic values.

The programme opened with a critical look at how anti-gender narratives are gaining ground in public opinion. Speakers in Panel 1 examined the role of digital platforms, far-right mobilisations and public opinion in shaping hostile environments and shared strategies for a collective answer.

Panel 2 shifted the focus to the elite, policy, and discourse levels, discussing how institutional actors and mainstream politics have absorbed and amplified anti-gender agendas. Participants emphasized the need for stronger democratic safeguards and cross-sector alliances.

Recordings of both panels are available on our YouTube channel. 

The Push*Back*Lash toolkits were presented in the afternoon, introducing evidence-based and artistic tools to counter anti-gender backlash. This was followed by our "Gender Café", a Q&A session between researchers and attendees.

Watch the full recordings here. 

The Forum concluded with a roundtable discussion on "Contextualizing Findings & Future Directions", moderated by Rina Alluri (UNESCO Chair & Professor, University of Innsbruck).

It brought together Phillip Ayoub, Member of the Push*Back*Lash Advisory Board and Professor at University College London, Zoe Lefkofridi, Push*Back*Lash Consortium Coordinator and Professor at the University of Salzburg, Janine Heinz, Policy Advisor to the Austrian Federal Minister for Women, Science and Research and Liza Mügge, Associate Professor at the University of Amsterdam and Coordinator of the MEN4DEM Horizon Project.

The discussion highlighted the need for continued transdisciplinary collaboration, stronger policy engagement, and the protection of inclusive and democratic spaces across Europe.

Watch the full recording or browse through the photos here. 

• Key Finding: Europe’s gender ideologies are pluralistic, with traditionalism declining but replaced by diverse egalitarian models.
  Recommendation: Normalize shared caregiving through non-transferable, well-paid parental leave for fathers.
  
  
• Key Finding: Overall, within individual attitudes toward gender equality remain stable over time, but recent data shows a reversal in support for same-sex couples.
  Recommendation: Increase funding for longitudinal research to track changes in individual attitudes toward gender+ issues.
  
  
• Key Finding: Gender and sexuality issues have become central in party manifestos, but polarization and far-right contestation are rising.
  Recommendation: Firmly anchor LGBTQ+ and intersectionality into equality policies, tailored to diverse realities.
  
  
• Key Finding: Harmful narratives targeting marginalized groups are spread by transnational anti-gender actors via social media.
  Recommendation: Expand hate speech definitions to include sexual orientation and gender identity across EU Member States.
  
  
• Key Finding: Mothers and marginalized women bore disproportionate burdens during the pandemic, especially in caregiving and homeschooling.
  Recommendation: Design inclusive crisis mitigation policies that consider unequal access and intersectional vulnerabilities.
  
  
• Key Finding: Intersectional analysis is essential to uncover and address mechanisms of inequality within democratic systems.
  Recommendation: Empower marginalized groups through strengthened political participation and representation.
  
  
• Key Finding: Disabled women face layered exclusions across all areas of life, often rendered invisible in policy and discourse.
  Recommendation: Mainstream disability-gender perspectives and ensure accessible, inclusive participation in policymaking. 
  
  
• Key Finding: Effective resistance requires robust legal frameworks and cross-sector alliances, especially involving feminist activism.
  Recommendation: Integrate gender equality as a foundational principle in democratic policy domains and support civil society.
  
  
• Key Finding: Theatre of the Oppressed fosters emotional learning and collective action, empowering participants to resist structural oppression.
  Recommendation: Treat anti-gender backlash as an emotional and embodied issue; use participatory art strategically to build resistance.
  

See the full list of key findings and policies here.

The “Research on Gender Equality & Intersectionality” event, organized by the European Commission under Horizon Europe, offered a valuable opportunity to connect initiatives. Our Push*Back*Lash Coordinator, Zoe Lefkofridi, and Antonia María Ruiz Jiménez from our sister project UNTWIST represented their projects at the event with the aim of building bridges and advancing shared goals.

It brought together over 25 funded projects from Horizon Europe and the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV), civil society representatives, researchers, policymakers and stakeholders to discuss the latest developments and challenges in the field of research on gender equality and intersectionality.

On the 1st and 2nd of October, the international conference “Resisting the Backlash: Defending Intersectional, Decolonial, and Postcolonial Feminisms” took place at Technische Universität Dresden. 

The conference was organized by the Chair of Political Theory in Dresden, in particular by our Push*Back*Lash partners from WP1, Nikita Dhawan and Camila Nobrega Rabello Alves, in cooperation with the Equal Opportunities Office of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. Participants and panelists from more than 10 countries came together there. 

It focused on the “backlash” against gender, intersectional, and postcolonial studies and included:

• Panels on digital dissent, anti-gender narratives, and feminist counter-imaginaries
• Artistic interventions and performances exploring embodied resistance
• A concluding plenary on feminist utopias and mobilizing pushback

The Push*Back*Lash project is entering its final phase. In December, we’ll send out one final newsletter packed with highlights and key takeaways. In the meantime, keep an eye on our website, where all upcoming reports, cartoons and other resources will be published.

Have a lovely day!

Your Push*Back*Lash Team

This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe Research and Innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 101061687.

UK consortium partners funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) under the UK government’s Horizon Europe funding guarantee [grant number 10038117].

Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union,  European Research Executive Agency, or UK Research and Innovation. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.