Project

Push*Back*Lash

Countering Anti-Feminism-Gender Backlash & Democratic Pushback in Europe

Theme Gender & Sexuality

What is Push*Back*Lash?

Horizon Europe Push*Back*Lash project is a transdisciplinary project that takes intersectionality to heart and advances the theory and practice of feminism(s) through rigorous, comparative multimethod research in support of the quality of democratic governance in more inclusive European societies.

It explores political actors, their agendas, and strategies to promote anti-gender equality in the European Union, using a large methodological palette – surveys, experiments, interviews, focus groups, and participatory theater. Push*Back*Lash is also distinctively solution-oriented. 

The project designs and empirically tests counter-strategies to overcome the pushback against gender equality and democracy in Europe and seeks to equip pro-equality actors with practical toolkits for responding to anti-gender equality and anti-feminist discursive strategies and backlash tactics. To this end, the project brings together civil society activists, EU experts, and researchers from the fields of political science, sociology, anthropology, communication and media, philosophy, and social psychology from 11 universities and organizations in Europe.

What are the project’s goals?

1

To systematically inquire into the present-day contestation of gender equality issues and policies at both elite and citizen levels. Approaching democracy from a global feminist perspective, the project employs a rigorous, comparative, multi-method design (e.g., experiments, surveys, interviews, participatory theatre). 

This approach enables: (a) identifying anti-gender strategies as well as best practices in counter-acting them across space and time; and (b) assessing the effects of anti-gender discourses by focusing on parties, social media and the public opinion.

2

To develop and test strategies that can effectively counteract anti-gender and anti-feminist discursive strategies.

Aiming at supporting the quality of democratic governance in more inclusive European societies, the project acknowledges intersections between gender and other social categories at all stages of the project (composition of consortium and advisory board; theory formulation, empirical investigation, and policy recommendations) and thus engage with stakeholders.

What are the project’s objectives?

  1. To engender democratic theory from an intersectional perspective.
  2. To understand anti-gender discursive strategies and backlash tactics & assess their effects.
  3. To identify best strategies for countering anti-gender discourses and strengthening democratic values and practices, taking into account the role played by parties, social media and public opinion.
  4. To develop solutions, policy recommendations and context-sensitive tools for engendering democratic spaces from an intersectional perspective.
  5. To co-create and disseminate knowledge for gender equality. 

Work package 4

Within the project dr. Liza Mügge is leading WP4: analyzing anti-gender equality strategies on Twitter to develop typologies of mobilization and counterstrategies. This analysis contributes to the creation of a toolkit for online actors in the field.

The Push*Back*Lash consortium is led by prof. dr. Zoe Lefkofredi.

Horizon Europe | 2023–2026 | This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2021 Research and Innovation Programme under grant agreement N° 101061687

Team

  • Michael Hunklinger

    Postdoctoral Researcher (2022–2024)
    Interests: Politics of Diversity and Inequality, Democracy and Political Participation, LGBTIQ+/ Queer Politics

  • Dr. Liza Mügge

    Associate Professor
    Principal Investigator
    Political Science Department
    University of Amsterdam

    This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

  • Rebekka Kesberg

    Postdoctoral Researcher (2023–)
    Interests: Democratic governance, political violence, gender-based violence, backlash against gender equality, morality

  • Norah Schulten

    Postdoctoral Researcher (2024–)
    Interests: Online hate and backlash against gender equality, coping strategies, European politics

  • Margarita Zervoulakou

    Research Master Intern (2023)
    Interests: Citizen identities, discrimination and political participation, the growing influence of anti-gender equality movements

  • Melanie Ihuoma

    Junior Researcher (2024–)
    Interests: Gender, sexuality, intersectionality, race, class

  • Raphaëlle de Coen

    Student Assistant (2024–)
    Interests: Politics of queer parenthood, trans* rights, TERF backlash

  • Cato Koomen

    Student Assistant (2024–)
    Interests: Reproductive justice, bodily autonomy, academic freedom

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