Roundtable 2: Postsocialism and gender equality

The roundtable will help understand how transition has affected gender equality in post-socialist countries. Different predictions of the impact of transition on gender equality were based on different assumptions and assessments of the legacy of the previous system on the one hand and opportunities/threats of change in transition (political and economic freedoms vs. social inequalities and re-traditionalisation new forms of patriarchy) on the other. Recent empirical data (e.g. on the position of women and men in the labour market and on gender equality values) and analysis provide a basis for a better understanding of the sources of power / capacity constraints and barriers to overcoming existing gender equality gaps in post-socialist countries. Part of the analysis tackle the structure in which the realities of individuals are shaped at the intersection of gender, class, sexuality, and race. These analyses also help to create an analytical framework suitable for further research into the implications of gendered post-socialist changes. Discussion of the multidisciplinary international panel (Eva Fodor, Kristen Rogheh Ghodsee, Adriana Zaharijević, Katalin Fabian, Shireen Hassim and Ana Laura Rodriguez Gusta) will be moderated by Aleksandra Kanjuo Mrčela and Rianne Mahon. The panel will contribute to the debate on gender equality in post-socialist societies and parts of the world that have experienced state feminism, and to a broader debate on barriers and the promotion of universal gender equality.