Feminist political science research has been developing over the last three decades intensively, aiming at gendering research methodologies, theoretical debates and empirical research. Feminist political science, neighbouring disciplines and interdisciplinary research have shaped new approaches to theory and practice, and have sought to produce work that is of direct relevance to achieving women’s movement goals, whether within public policy or within political institutions broadly conceived. Gender and politics research seeks to identify obstacles to change and the possibilities for a broad gender-responsive transformation. However, we are witnessing a continual marginalization of feminist political analysis in the “mainstream” social sciences and growing opposition to gender studies in Europe and beyond. These negative developments have indeed arrived to the South-East Europe and the feminist political science is still on the margins, very much dependent on individual engagement and endeavours. In order to promote regional cooperation collaborative approaches, the Gender and Politics Research Network in South-East Europe (GenPolSEE) is being established.
GenPolSEE is an informal, board-based feminist network of researchers interested in fostering research on gender, politics and representation in South-East Europe. The network is committed to the following network objectives:
- Strengthening peer-to-peer learning and exchange among gender and politics researchers in the region;
- Promoting contemporary feminist research methodologies among scholars from the region and strengthening links with international experts, networks and platforms;
- Conducting empirical research aimed at supporting change, innovation and transformation.
The thematic research focus of the GenPolSEE network revolves around the following issues:
- Gender and representation: critical actors, women’s and social movements, intersectionality;
- Gender and institutions: parliaments, political parties, institutional mechanisms, executive;
- Gender and public policy: inclusive policy making, accountability, gender mainstreaming;
The informal GenPolSEE network will be fully non-profit and will conduct, among others, following activities:
- Informal exchange via a network mailing list & social media channels;
- GenPolSEE network meetings (i feminist research methodology workshops, thematic online and in-person events);
- Thematic national or comparative, regional research projects.
Self-identified feminist researchers, working at universities, research institutes, think tanks, research NGOs and as independent scholars, holding a minimum MA degree, and coming from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia or Serbia are kindly invited to join the GenPolSEE. Male and researchers from minority and under-represented communities are especially encouraged to apply. Interest to join the network is to be expressed by sending an email with the latest CV (incl. publication list) in English language, together with a cover letter (ca. one A4 page), elaborating your motivation, expectations and what you can contribute to the network. The expression of interest should be sent not later than 15 August 2022, to sasa.gavric@gmail.com
The Founding Meeting of the GenPolSEE Network will be held in Belgrade on 2 and 3 November 2022. The Belgrade-based Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory and the Institute of Social Sciences are kindly co-hosting the founding meeting. The founding meeting will combine a thematic working day, with a strategic planning workshop on the second day. Details will be shared with the selected group of participants. The organisation of the Founding Meeting is supported by Global Unit for Feminism and Gender Democracy (Heinrich Boll Stiftung).
Network Coordinator
Saša Gavrić, PhD researcher at the University of Leipzig/Germany, sasa.gavric@gmail.com