A new perspective on anti-gender actors
Anti-gender politics is a big topic in today’s academic literature. However, not all studies seem to agree on which actors are to be considered under this label. Some talk about political parties, others about civil society organisations, or individual activists and public opinion makers. As a reader, you can easily get lost amongst this array […]
Willful ignorance: how non-activity erases intersex persons in Belgium
Pride flags flutter in the Place De Brouckèr in Brussels Research on anti-gender mobilization often focusses on active actors. However, equal power might lie in the act of ignorance. “Ignorance” can refer to both a lack of knowledge and the act of turning a blind eye to something. The case of intersex people in Belgium […]
New CCINDLE Evidence Bites Summarise Research Insights on Anti-Gender and Anti-Democratic Struggle
The CCINDLE evidence bites offer handy summaries of key research outputs from across our team, creating a practical resource for politicians, campaigners, and practitioners interested in how anti-gender and anti-democratic movements work together, and how feminist resistance can protect rights and safeguard democracy. The new batch of nine evidence bites ask: Catch up on the […]
Can Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Work Survive the Era of Backlash? Reflecting on Four Years of Gender Cafés with the Society of Gender Professionals
Over the past few years, CCINDLE has had the privilege of co-organising four Gender Cafés with the Society of Gender Professionals (SGP), a global non-profit network of gender practitioners, academics, and activists spanning 127 countries. The partnership with SGP provided a great way to take CCINDLE’s comparative research on gender backlash and democratic backsliding in Europe and […]
Repression and Alienation on Campus: Reflecting on Student Juries
Student encampment at the University of Toronto. “Student encampments – UofT – Disclose and Divest (through a fence)” by Can Pac Swire is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. As more governments in Western Europe crack down on the right to protest, in particular against Israel’s genocide of the Palestinians, universities are no different. In the UK, university […]
CCINDLE workshops and webinars are available on YouTube
As well as our ongoing video series, the CCINDLE YouTube channel has compiled a playlist of recorded webinars, workshops, and panels featuring our partners. Catch up on appearances and discussion from the team, including the Gender Cafés organised with the Society of Gender Professionals and the CEU Democracy Institute’s Feminist Futures Workshops on feminist resistance and backlash […]
How do institutions respond to anti-gender politics?
International Women’s Day 2024 canvas at the Spanish Parliament. Photo courtesy of Javier Perez Montes via Unsplash On 7 April 2026, the Spanish government approved a draft constitutional reform aimed at safeguarding the right to voluntary termination of pregnancy across the national territory, alongside new measures to strengthen action against gender-based violence. Spain is not the first European country to […]
Feminist Resistance in Academia: Working in the Academy Under Attack
In a pressurized environment, academics may self-censor What does it mean to do feminist work in an academic environment that feels increasingly hostile, uncertain, or restrictive? That question was at the center of our latest Feminist Futures Workshop session, which brought together feminist scholars to share experiences and strategies for solidarity, with over 70 participants […]
Feminist Futures Festival: 25th June 2026
When: Thursday 25th of June 2026 Where: Pianofabriek, 35 Rue du Fortstraat, 1060 St Gilles, Brussels, Belgium How can we foster feminist futures while facing a world in the grip of multiple crises? Across the globe, undemocratic systems are bolstered by authoritarian politics, deepening inequality, collapsing infrastructures of public care, climate catastrophe, forced displacement, and […]
Who really cares for trans lives in an ‘LGBTQ-friendly’ country?
The Flemish Opera building in Antwerp, decorated to mark LGBTQIA+ Pride. The myth of LGBTQ-friendliness Belgium is often hailed as an ‘LGBTQ+ paradise‘ because of its comprehensive and inclusive legislation. In 2003, it was the second country worldwide to introduce marriage for registered same-sex couples and, since 2006, adoption rights. Since 2018, trans people have […]