Lecture by prof. Johanna Kantola from the University of Helsinki

We would like to invite you to a meeting with Prof. Johanna Kantola, a renowned scholar in the fields of gender studies, equality policy, and feminist analysis of European institutions.

The meeting will take place on May 26, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in Czarnowski Hall.

During the meeting, Prof. Kantola will deliver a presentation titled “Gender Equality and the Politics of Resistance in the European Union.”

The presentation will focus on gender equality policy in the European Union from 2019 to 2024, that is, during the term of the European Parliament and the first term of the European Commission under the leadership of Ursula von der Leyen. This was a period of significant yet ambiguous changes. On the one hand, the European Union made significant progress under the Union of Equality program. After a long hiatus in adopting new equality directives, five new legal acts were adopted, and the European Commission presented five equality strategies, including a gender strategy and the first-ever strategies on LGBTQ+ rights and combating racism. On the other hand, at the same time, radical right-wing populist parties and far-right groups were gaining strength in Europe. Their anti-gender policies created hostile conditions for advancing gender equality initiatives within the institutions of the European Union.

In her presentation, Prof. Kantola will outline the latest trends in research on equality and resistance within the European Union’s institutions, public policies, and governance systems. She will discuss both the impact of anti-gender policies on the functioning of European institutions and feminist institutional responses to these challenges.

Registration: https://forms.gle/SpuXV7ZjErar13kq5