Markus Thiel
The inclusion of social minorities is contingent on civic activism and government policies that become more polarised as well as volatile in times of crises. Markus Thiel, Ernesto Fiocchetto and Jeffrey Maslanik delve into the state of inclusion policies throughout Europe Read more
Gaia Taffoni
Countries attempting to improve women's position in relation to that of men have started using a Gender Impact Assessment (GIA) to examine policies' potential effects. But social and cultural barriers to gender justice and the politicisation of gender mainstreaming challenge its successful implementation, writes Gaia Taffoni Read more
Daniela Donno
Gender-washing regimes pay lip service to liberal norms, but reforms tend to be top-down and symbolic. To advance women’s rights, we need to pay attention to the question of how de jure legal rights can be effectively claimed and experienced by women, according to Daniela Donno Read more
Karen Celis
Fixing numbers is not enough. In their second-generation design for inclusive democracy, Karen Celis and Sarah Childs refashion representation processes to incentivise elected representatives to care more for diverse citizens. The designed-for effects? Experiencing better representation ‘in the round’, the most marginalised feeling recognised by and connected with democratic politics Read more
Aili Mari Tripp
Autocratising governments in countries from Hungary to Turkey and Russia are eroding women’s rights. While this is indeed a worrying trend, Aili Mari Tripp argues we must consider that autocratisation looks different depending on a country’s historical legacies and geopolitical situation. This influences the types of women’s rights a regime might seek to undo Read more
Emanuela Lombardo
As far-right populist political parties and anti-gender movements gather momentum across Europe, democracy and gender equality come under increasing threat. Emanuela Lombardo shows how a concomitant rise in attacks on gender equality accelerates the process of democratic decline Read more
Johanne Døhlie Saltnes
The Loop turns two years old today. On the occasion of our second birthday, Academic Editors Johanne Døhlie Saltnes and Martin Bull reflect on the gender balance among our authors. The Loop has taken some initiatives to bolster the proportion of female contributors, but there is still room for improvement Read more
Cristina Chiva
Reproductive rights and LGBTQ+ rights are increasingly under attack across the world. So far, we have a good grasp of the causes and consequences of the backlash against gender equality. What we need to do now, argues Cristina Chiva, is to conceptualise and document democratic resilience against these trends Read more