Welcome to The Gender Diplomat!

🇵🇹🗳️ Portugal's recent elections saw a dramatic rise in far-right representation, mirroring a trend across Europe. This is problematic for a number of reasons, but mainly because far-right movements champion extreme conservative values and societal structures that exacerbate existing inequalities, particularly for women. Social media, algorithms, and online echo chambers both generate and amplify these messages, influencing Gen Z's political perspectives and jeopardising progress towards equality.

This brings us to a fundamental question: how should the fight for equality continue, and how can (young) men be part of the solution?

🧨 An explosive cocktail: Gen Z, the far-right, and the equality gap

Like many men and women around the world, I dream of a safe, prosperous, fair and equal life for everyone and everywhere. I truly believe that this is possible with the right amount of policies, collective mindset change and cross-sectoral effort. But these are big challenges precisely because we live in a deeply unequal world in all systems and sectors, and far-right politics and populism have exacerbated these inequalities on a global scale, especially for women.

In Europe the list is endless: backlash against human rights, racism, ideological divides, and the stubbornness of traditional values have been fuelled by the online world. Misogynist influencers, the reversal of sexual and reproductive rights, and the rise of #Tradwife content all contribute to a growing equality gap. The Financial Times recently shared that women have become more progressive, while men have become more conservative. These developments hurt the progress towards equality in different and dangerous ways.

There are countless causes for these problems, but in the age of disinformation and hindered socialisation, I've become very interested in online content regulation and how to save (young) people from falling into these traps. I did some research, and we really should demand more from lawmakers around the world before it’s too late. Unfortunately for all of us, Gen Z, the leaders of tomorrow, have become increasingly polarised, and that matters because political ideology and experiences are not easily changed.

Another fundamental question is: if it takes two to tango, where are the men? The fight for equality needs everyone's participation, and this is where the problem lies: men are largely absent and alienated from the conversation, and this starts at home and in schools, continuing later in the workplace and in public life. To achieve gender equality, men need to be active participants, not just bystanders (let alone misogynists). It will be a challenge to build bridges in an increasingly polarised world, but we can try.

This can begin with baby steps and routine activities: for instance, we're all too familiar with "manels" (all-male panels) dominating discussions on traditionally male issues – security, law, business, science, technology, and politics. In today's interconnected world, "manels" have no excuse to exist. At the same time, IWD is flooded with panels and celebrations focused on women's rights, realities, progress, and setbacks. These panels are almost certainly all-female, and men are nowhere to be seen. As a young woman who has participated in dozens of these panels, I sincerely think this approach has become counterproductive.

This matters beyond public speaking. The concepts of equality and gender have wrongly become synonymous with "women" and "women's issues”, so no wonder men are not fully integrated in these spaces and conversations. It often feels like when I'm on an all-female panel discussing equality and women’s rights, 50% of the stakeholders are missing – both on the panels and in the audience.

So one last thought: Men need to be fully and proactively involved in these conversations, not just because they are (a big) part of the problem, but because the equality gap depends on them to listen, learn, act and change accordingly. This gap must be addressed in public spaces, at home, in schools, and must be accompanied by regulation and education. Far-right politics and movements will require a greater effort to involve men, prevent young people from being seduced by sensationalism, establish a common language on equality and allow for better accountability. In the end, gender is also about perceived values and behaviours, and inequality hurts us all. Deep ideological divides from a young age will prevent men from helping women too.

⚡ Growing in and out of your 9 to 5

JOBS

• Traineeships @ S&D Group European Parliament

• Programme Manager @ UN Women Brussels

• EU programme trainee @ EPLO

• Research assistant @ EUI

• Women in AI Fellowship @ UNIDIR

• PhD researcher on climate change and conflict @ U. of Konstanz

• EU project developer @ ALDA

GROWTH

• Why we should talk to strangers (The Economist)

• The Next Global Superpower Isn't Who You Think (TED)

• The Case for Doing Nothing (The New York Times)

EVENTS

• European Summit of Regions and Cities 2024 (E.C. of the Regions)

• Media, War and Peace (NOVA School of Law)

• European Humanitarian Forum 2024 (DG ECHO)

• How debt can be addressed as a FFP priority (FFPC)

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