Feminism and State Architectures: Devolution, Federalism, Regionalism and (Gender) Equality

What influence does (con) federal, devolved, unitary and other forms of state architectures have on feminist mobilizing and gender equality policy outcomes? Do federal systems, with their multiple jurisdictions offer greater benefits for advancing feminist claims through the state? Or does multi-level governance frustrate the development of gender equality policies and exacerbate inequalities between men and women and amongst women living in different areas of the same country? This workshop builds on innovative research in the area of feminism and state architectures to ask new questions and advance further comparative approaches to the impact and influence of different state structures on women and on gender equality. The workshop will engage in dialogue new and leading scholars in the field of gender and the state as well as those working outside the feminist paradigm to critically evaluate key questions about the nature and influence of state levels and scale in relation to gender and governance questions.