EUGendering

Intersectionality Mainstreaming in EU Equality Policies: Reflections on the Promises and Perils of a Novel Approach
2023-05-10 12:00 - 13:30 (Europe/Paris) | P30 (Préfecture) Université Saint-Louis – Bruxelles, 119 rue du marais, Bruxelles, Belgium
Room P30 (Préfecture building, 119 rue du marais – Bruxelles)

Serena D’Agostino (she/her/hers) is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Centre for Migration, Diversity and Justice (CMDJ) at the Brussels School of Governance (BSoG), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). She is the coordinator of the VUB Strategic Research Programme Enhancing Democratic Governance in Europe (EDGE). She regularly serves as a commissioned expert to the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) for its annual Fundamental Rights Report (chapter on Roma Equality and Inclusion, Belgium). Her research interests lie at the crossroads of (political) intersectionality, activism/social movements and minority politics and rights, with a focus on Romani (gender) politics and Roma (women’s) rights in Europe. Her work has been published in Politics, Groups, and Identities, the European Journal of Politics and Gender, the International Feminist Journal of Politics, and the Journal of Diversity and Gender Studies, among others.
Pauline Cullen is Associate Professor of Sociology at the Centre for European and Eurasian Studies, Maynooth University. Her work examines civil society mobilization on social justice and gender equality at national and European Union level, women’s movements and gender and political representation. She has also worked as a gender expert for advocacy organisations working on gender justice and equality issues and have supervised postgraduate student research on the mobilization of sexual minorities in Ireland and ethnic minority women and gender roles.
Abstract: In the last decade, intersectionality has become increasingly present in the EU equality agenda. From a very embryonic, implicit and often misunderstood concept in European policy-making in the early 2000s, intersectionality is now a core cross-cutting principle in political and policy debates about equality, anti-discrimination and human rights. At first glance, one could even dare to talk about a novel approach based on intersectionality mainstreaming. Yet, it is crucial to remain cautious, as a substantial mainstreaming of intersectionality might not be as easy as it seems.
This essay stimulates reflection on the mainstreaming of intersectionality in contemporary EU equality policies. In particular, it builds on past and current academic debates about the application of intersectionality to (European) policy-making to think critically about both the promises (e.g. improving the quality of policies) and perils (e.g. increasing the risk of depoliticization and co-optation of intersectionality) of this approach. Doing so, it uses illustrations from the recently adopted ‘Union of Equality’ strategies, with particular emphasis on the policies addressing Romani women – where a lack of ‘intersectional thinking’ was previously acknowledged (D’Agostino 2015).

A conversation about Markus Thiel's latest book “The European Union's International Promotion of LGBTI Rights: Promises and Pitfalls”
2023-04-28 12:30 - 14:00 | P30 (Préfecture) Université Saint-Louis – Bruxelles, 119 rue du marais, Bruxelles, Belgium
Organisation: Sophie Jacquot (Université Saint-Louis – Bruxelles)
Chair and mediator: Serena D’Agostino (Vrije Universiteit Brussel)
Discussion: David Paternotte (Université Libre de Bruxelles)

Markus Thiel is Professor in the Department of Politics and International Relations at the Green School of International and Public Affairs at Florida International University, Miami. He also directs FIU’s EU-Jean Monnet Center of Excellence. His research interests are the political sociology of the EU and European Politics more generally, Identity Politics and LGBTI Politics.

Book Description
“This book critically analyzes the European Union’s promotion of LGBTI rights in the international arena. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex rights are heavily contested across the globe, with over 70 countries criminalizing same-sex relations and at least 10 imposing the death penalty.
The book details how the EU, based on different member state positions, attempts to jointly formulate and implement guidelines for the external promotion of LGBTI rights. It also problematizes the various normative and policy-based Eurocentric prescriptions to further these rights. Drawing on an international political sociology framework infused with queer theoretical thought, the author investigates the apparent normative tensions emerging from Europe’s promotion of LGBTI rights as liberal human rights and the ensuing pushback by culturally and politically conservative states. He examines the compatibility of EU institutional and member states’ conceptions of LGBTI rights and the more general question of the EU’s normative agenda-setting power on the world stage. He then explores the external policy areas in which LGBTI rights promotion is formulated and diffused – namely in development and foreign aid, in enlargement and neighbourhood policies, and in other international organizations. In conclusion, the author suggests viewing the contention surrounding LGBTI rights within broader governance contexts, and thus reimagining rights promotion in a more holistic manner.
This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of LGBTI and Human Rights, European Politics, and International Relations.”

Que faut-il attendre de la proposition de directive sur la transparence salariale entre les femmes et les hommes ?
2023-02-15 12:00 - 15:30 | P30 (Préfecture) Université Saint-Louis – Bruxelles, 119 rue du marais, Bruxelles, Belgium
Nicolas Moizard est professeur à l’Université de Strasbourg (Institut du travail). Spécialiste de droit social français et européen, il travaille notamment sur les discriminations et sur la relation individuelle et collective du travail. Sur le sujet en lien avec le séminaire, il a notamment publié « La proposition de directive sur la transparence salariale entre les femmes et les hommes, avancées et incertitudes », Revue de droit du travail, 2021, p. 431-440.

>>> Local P30, 119 rue du marais (Université Saint-Louis – Bruxelles)

The Conference on the Future of Europe and Gender: What's Next?
2023-01-25 17:30 - 19:00 | Online (Teams)
From the Conference on the Future of Europe to a Feminist Europe.
Starting with the presentation of the new Gender Five Plus report on Gender Equality and the Future of Europe, this webinar will be an opportunity to discuss the results of the Conference on the Future of Europe from a gender perspective, but also the policy recommendations needed to move towards a feminist Europe.

Panellists:

Jéromine Andolfatto (European Women’s Lobby)
Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield (MEP, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance
Victoire Olczak (Gender Five Plus)
Alvaro Oleart (ULB)
Gaëtane Ricard-Nihoul (European Commission, DG Communication, responsible for Citizens’ Dialogue)

L’avortement dans l’Union européenne aujourd'hui : état des lieux et obstacles
2022-11-08 12:00 - 14:00 | Online (Teams)
Bérengère Marques-Pereira (ULB) est sociologue. Elle est notamment spécialiste de la citoyenneté sociale et politique des femmes en Europe et en Amérique latine, et des processus de politisation et de décision sur le droit à l’avortement. Elle a créé le groupe « Genre et politique » de l’ABSP.
A l’occasion de ce séminaire elle présentera son ouvrage paru en 2021, intitulé L’avortement dans l’Union européenne : acteurs, enjeux et discours.

Ce séminaire est organisé conjointement par la Chaire Jean Monnet EUGENDERING et le Groupe « Genre et politique » de l’ABSP.
