Abstract
European Parliament’s (EP) party groups are crucial to democratic representation in the EU. Much of the academic research about the party groups has been gender-blind.
The aim of the talk is to, first, introduce the ERC Consolidator Grant funded research project EUGenDem, which provides a systematic analysis of the gendered policies and practices of European party politics. The research comprises a comparative study of the European Parliament’s (EP) party groups and generates empirical findings about the significance of gender in the current party political transformations in Europe.
Second, the talk introduces the findings about a recent study into the gendered experiences of women MEPs from two Nordic countries, Denmark and Finland, to illustrate the significance of the bigger project.
The findings are based on interview data with 18 women MEPs from these two member states and explore their perceptions of gender equality in the political groups. The findings illustrate that party groups exhibit some shared and some diversified gendered norms as well as concrete practices for advancing the position of women, including informal women’s networks. We draw attention to the lack of m/paternity leave rights in the EP and the lack of political will within the party groups to tackle this, which is cementing exclusionary practices of the institution further.
Speakers Series Spring 2019
Time: Every second Tuesday, at 16.15-17.45, starting from 22 January 2019
Place: Pinni B building lecture hall B1096, Kanslerinrinne 1
19.03. Gender, Party Politics and Democracy in Europe: A Study of European Parliament’s Party Groups
Professor Johanna Kantola, SOC
02.04. Freedom of Movement - White Privilege or Universal Human Right?
Dr Jukka Könönen, IASR
16.04. No lecture - Dr Jukka Könönen’s lecture rescheduled for 02.04.
14.05. From Anti-gender Wars to Black Protests: Recent Gendered Political Mobilizations in Poland
Dr Barbara Gaweda, IASR
The Speakers Series is a series of Studia Generalia Lectures in the Study of Society organized weekly by Tampere University Institute for Advanced Social Research (IASR) in cooperation with the New Social Research Programme (NSR). The lectures are given by the Research Fellows as well as the distinguished guests of the IASR and the NSR.
For the programme, please check the IASR website. Most doctoral students can also get 2 ECTS for attending a minimum of six IASR Lectures, altogether 6 ECTS at the maximum. These 2 ECTS for attending 6 lectures can be earned during two successive terms.