Gender Matters!

Numerous experts and organizations from science and civil society are calling for resources to fight anti-feminism, sexism and hostility to equality.

There is no democracy without gender equality! In the democracy promotion program, hardly any resources are made available for combating anti-feminism, sexism and hostility to equality policies and gender research. More than 400 academics and supporters from civil society call on Family Minister Franziska Giffey (SPD) in an open letter to take gender into account in prevention work, as well as promoting democracy and diversity, and to make appropriate resources available.

From 2020 onwards, instead of the previous 400 model projects, only 100 will be funded in the BMFSFJ's “Live Democracy!” Program. In addition to the large number of recognized sponsors who are now faced with existential questions, this also means, above all, the reduction of competencies in the field of anti-feminism, sexism and hostility towards equality, which is essential for a sustainable analysis and fight against right-wing extremism. In addition, incomprehensibly, there will be no separate competence network on sexism or anti-feminism. The undersigned criticize: “With the restructuring of the federal program, this funding area will be reduced almost completely. This poses existential questions to qualified providers who have built up resources, knowledge and networks for a democratic civil society from a gender-democratic perspective over many years. "

Anti-feminism, sexism, hostility to gender equality policies and gender research are fundamental components of extreme right-wing ideologies. They have a hinge function within the heterogeneous right-wing scene and form an important bridging narrative into the middle of society.

According to the undersigned, the family ministry's prevention work, democracy and diversity design are in contradiction to all current challenges such as right-wing extremist terror, radicalization on the Internet or voting behavior. The Halle assassin also refers in his statement to feminists who are to blame for “re-population” and, as the beneficiaries of these developments, identifies “the Jews”. The right-wing terrorist Breivik and the Christchurch assassin had already cited this dangerous and powerful narrative as the motivation for their killing. "These fundamental relationships have been scientifically proven for many years and are publicly discussed," says Prof Dr. Esther Lehnert from the nationwide working group on gender-reflective right-wing extremism prevention. The previous federal programs had accordingly funded the first projects that focus on the development of gender-reflective approaches in practice.

With the restructuring of the federal program, however, this funding area will be reduced almost completely. "This poses existential questions to qualified sponsors who have built up resources, knowledge and networks for a democratic civil society from a gender-democratic perspective over many years", says Prof. Dr. Heike Radvan from the working group on gender-reflective right-wing extremism prevention.

This open letter aims to point out this important funding priority of the federal program and the foreseeable consequences for the prevention of right-wing extremism. There are various reasons and evidence for this, such as application-related research results and evaluation reports. “In the clean-up meeting on November 14th, the funds for the federal program 'Democracy!' The Ministry must also develop a strategy that does justice to the current challenges and takes anti-feminism seriously as a threat to democracy ”, says Judith Rahner, Head of the Gender, GMF and Right-Wing Extremism Unit at the Amadeu Antonio Foundation.

https://www.amadeu-antonio-stiftung.de/gender-matters-51023/