Gender

With the European Parliament elections taking place between on 6-9 June 2024, the European Union stands at a defining moment. The 2019-2024 term witnessed the breakthrough of long-stagnant gender initiatives, but challenges loom large in advancing gender equality in the EU. This article explores the prospects for the policy directions that will shape the gender equality agenda of the next European Parliament and Commission in this context.

The election of Joe Biden as President of the United States created an opening for a gender-sensitive approach to foreign policy. Two years in, historic firsts and enduring obstacles present a mixed picture.

Adopted largely by the West, FFP advocacy needs to address Global South dilemmas, contradictions, and tensions for adoption in non-West geographies.

At the Feminist Development Policy Conference in Berlin, the German government showed progress toward a feminist engagement with international partners.

Determined to stay in power, Brazil’s incumbent president Jair Bolsonaro borrows from Donald Trump’s playbook and is preparing the ground for a stolen election myth. He rose to power by learning how to mobilize voters from Barack Obama – and by flooding the internet with fake news.

The ultraconservative extreme right in Brazil is creating moral panic by pushing fake news about “gender ideology”. The fear of anything but heteronormativity plays a central role in the ascension of authoritarian leaders and democratic backsliding.

Women are more affected than men by plastics. Biological reasons are part of the problem: their bodies react in different ways to toxins, and the hygiene products that women use are often contaminated. But alternatives do exist.