The FIERCE Project in Gdańsk: How to Bring the Feminist Agenda into Political Processes

On March 18 and 19, the sixth consortium meeting of the international research project FIERCE took place in Gdańsk, Poland. The meeting focused on discussing the dissemination of research results and was attended by Mojca Pajnik and Leja Markelj from the Peace Institute.

In eight national studies – based on interviews with feminist and anti-gender actors, critical frame analysis, and discursive network analysis – we examined policies and practices in the areas of care work, reproductive rights, LGBTIQ+ rights, and gender-based violence. The results reveal the consolidation of anti-gender actors from a European perspective and point to an alarming trend of normalizing discourses that minimize human rights and reject the rights of women and LGBTIQ+ people. At the same time, the findings highlight the determination and persistence of feminist social movements in a comparative perspective across the selected countries, as well as the importance of transnational solidarity and alliances in the fight against threats that undermine or dismantle already-acquired gender equality rights.

In the coming months, alongside the dissemination of research results, meetings of the FIERCE transnational feminist network – established within the project and bringing together activists from eight EU countries – will take place. Based on the findings, recommendations for policymakers will be formulated with the aim of integrating the feminist agenda into decision-making processes at the EU level.