European Politics

The European Union (EU) and its institutions, such as the European Commission, the Council of the EU, and the European Parliament, play a pivotal role in supranational gender and sexuality politics, shaping the image (and myth) of the EU as a global promoter of gender equality and LGBTQI rights. Gender equality and sexuality politics changed considerably over the decades through multiple EU crises, such as the economic and financial crisis, Brexit, the failed constitution, the so-called migration crisis, as well as the Covid-19 pandemic. Progress sometimes stalled, and some policies deteriorated despite constant mobilization by civil society actors. Simultaneously, opponents of EU gender equality policy and (trans)national anti-gender and anti-LGBTQI mobilization gained traction. The new von der Leyen Commission in 2019 claimed with the ‘Union of Equality’ new Commission strategies on gender equality and LGBTIQ rights, next to ones for the rights of persons with disabilities, on combating racism, and promoting Roma rights, and declared an intersectional perspective a core idea of all strategies. Against this background, this section aims to scrutinize ongoing changes in European politics regarding gender equality, sexuality politics, and intersecting policy issues. The section invites panels that reflect on the multifaceted dimension of supranational politics (covering the EU and other transnational institutions, such as the Council of Europe or the OSCE) and examines the challenges, achievements, and ongoing efforts to foster inclusive and equitable societies. The section wants to shed light on the current state-of-the art, identify potential avenues for future progress and critically reflect on the substance of supranational equality commitments. Proposals may cover but not need to be limited to the following supranational topics and should commit to a complex understanding of equality policies, which cover gender and sexuality as well as race, class, disability, and other structures of inequality, as well as their intersectional aspects: Explaining changes in the EU’s gender equality and sexuality politics and policymaking; supranational actors, institutions and their interactions; policy agendas such as the Union of Equality strategies and their implementation; civil society organisations and anti-gender and anti-LGBTIQ mobilisation; gendered representation and representation of marginalized groups in EU decision-making; gendered impact of EU policies and politics within and outside the EU, including EU member states and candidate countries; gender mainstreaming; human rights and their violation; climate change; migration and border control; rise of radical right and populist parties; Brexit; supranational economic and social policy; EU foreign and security policy; Istanbul Convention and gender-based violence; EU responses to violent conflicts and war and their gendered effects. The section is dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment, encompassing a wide range of theoretical and methodological approaches and subject focuses. It explicitly encourages panels that take an intersectional approach and research that centers racialized as well as gendered aspects in supranational European politics, related to but not limited to the EU. The section strongly encourages proposals from scholars of diverse backgrounds, career stages, and geographic locations, as we believe in the richness of such diversity.