European Journal of Women’s Studies

SPECIAL ISSUE: Transgender Politics at the Core of European Populist Agendas

Deadline: 21/10/26

A new research initiative has been launched to investigate how right-wing and populist movements across Europe have positioned opposition to transgender rights and the critique of “gender theory” at the absolute center of their political platforms. The project aims to analyze how a debate once considered niche has been transformed into a primary vehicle for voter mobilization, effectively reshaping the continent’s ideological landscape by capitalizing on cultural anxieties

The Call for Papers invites researchers to explore the geopolitical fragmentation of social policy across Europe. Submissions should address the distinct ways this framework manifests:

• Central and Eastern Europe: Analyzing institutionalized measures and legislative restrictions on LGBTQIA+ content in education and media;
• Western Europe: Examining the friction points centering on healthcare protocols for youth transition, sports participation, and preferred name policies in schools.

Additionally, contributors are encouraged to dissect the mechanics behind why the anti-gender narrative resonates, focusing on binary simplification, the creation of a cohesive in-group identity, and agenda diversification during economic lulls.

For more information please contact the special issue editors:

Julian Honkasalo (julian.honkasalo(at)helsinki.fi) and Ulrika Dahl (ulrika.dahl@gender.uu.se).

Link to the call: https://journals.sagepub.com/page/ejw/transgender_politics_at_the_core_of_european_populist_agendas