On Tuesday, 20 April 2021, the European Institute of Romania (EIR) organised a new online event in the Dialogues@IER series, focusing on gender equality.
Our guests were Mrs Diana Elena Neaga, Lecturer, National University of Political Studies and Public Administration, member of AnA Society for Feminist Analyses, and Mrs Aurora Martin, Senior Advisor for International Relations, National Agency for Equal Opportunities between Women and Men. The event was moderated by Mrs Liliana Popescu, PhD, Vice-Rector, National University of Political Studies and Public Administration.
Considering that the current times are marked by an undemocratic criticism of gender equality and gender studies, a whole range of perspectives and data were presented:
- The EIR event reiterates the normative importance of gender equality, given that the anti-gender discourse has surged in the last years against an increase in the far-right influence and the rise of illiberalism at international level;
- Anti-gender movements in Romania argue that gender studies are not sustainable and would not produce the skills required to meet the labour market needs;
- The pandemic has created a context with multiple vulnerabilities for Romanian women, considering that many of them are frontline workers (doctors, nurses, commerce workers, cleaning and care staff, etc.);
- Moreover, categories most affected by the sanitary crisis in this pandemic context have been older women (in a higher percentage than men of the same age group), Roma women (30% of Roma people live in households with no access to running water), unemployed women and women at risk of losing their jobs, women who are victims of domestic violence, etc.;
- In terms of workplace dynamics, during this pandemic, women have been the demographic category most affected by changes incurred by the significant increase in the number of working hours or their dramatic decrease (e.g., as a result of furlough).