Neoconservative backlash to gender equality policies and its local manifestations in Central and Eastern Europe and Latin America
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The working paper brings together reflections from three Communities of Practice - WIGE4, UNIGEM5, and LAC6 - on the impact of gender equality & other inclusive policies in the face of an escalating neoconservative backlash. Participants highlighted the intended and unintended consequences of progressive policies, shifting policy focus from GEPs to Inclusive GEPs, and the intensifying opposition against gender equality and DEI (diversity-equity-inclusion). In this paper we identify three forces, neoconservatism, anti-feminist backlash, and anti-genderism, which, while working in synergy, present a dangerous ideological coherence that results in a strong backlash against gender equality policies and gender equality work, including within the higher education sector. By linking global and local processes, this working paper sheds light on how anti-gender mobilizations reshape the landscape of gender equality policies. It situates these challenges within broader debates on democracy, institutional accountability, and social justice. In doing so, it sets the stage for deeper analysis of how Inclusive GEPs might serve as tools for resilience and progressive change. In this context, the concept of inclusivity is broadened from its initial focus on the recognition of various social identities and how they intersect, to the establishment of connections with other progressive social actors in order to present a unified front against conservative backlash.
Language: English
Topic: Gender and Feminist Studies
Subfield: Gender Studies
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funder: European Commission
OpenAlex ID: W7220374752