genderfearsq
Workshop for researchers and civil society members
English (morning), French and English (afternoon)

Who’s afraid of Gender? Lessons for research, policy advocacy and action

When:
THU, 13 NOV 2025
From:
9:00 AM
To:
6:00 PM
Where:
Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER)

11 Prte des Sciences, 4366 Belval Esch-sur-Alzette/Belval

Conference Room Jane Jacobs, 1st floor, Maison des Sciences Humaines
Join us!
Researchers are welcome to participate in the whole day or only part of it (morning or afternoon). Civil society members are welcome to participate in the afternoon.
The event is free of charge and open to all interested participants registered by 1st of November 2025
Register now
Share:

Outline

Gender studies have been questioning scientific research for many years, whether in the biomedical field, in the humanities and social sciences, or in technological development. The history of biomedical research, for example, reveals numerous research biases linked to sex and gender. Some studies have shown how the male body has often been taken - consciously or unconsciously - as the norm, with detrimental consequences for both women’s and men’s health, and even more so for people who do not neatly fit into a binary sex and gender distinction[1].

Similarly, male bodies and biographies, as well as the traditional division of economic and political labour between men and women have often unquestionably been taken as the norm also in the social sciences. The consequence has been research that has long invisibilised women and sexual minorities, issues that disproportionally concern them (such as sexual violence), and the socio-political and economic dynamics that produce gendered norms, hierarchies, identities and realities in the first place[2]. Gender-blind research has for instance contributed to legitimising a social value system in which visible and paid labour is valued more than invisible  and/or unpaid labour (such as cleaning work,  care work or emotional labour). It has also long failed to question the gendered nature of urban spaces, political institutions, policies, organisations and social practices. Thereby it has contributed to normalising (if not altogether essentialising) a world that values straight men in power positions more than women, sexual minorities or non-gender-conform groups.

Since the 1990s though, Gender Studies and gender-sensitive scholars across disciplines have produced a considerable body of research on the gendered aspects of society, research and research ethics. Research had made gendered structures and dynamics, as well as implicit biases visible (including in their intersectionality with other vectors of social inequality). In parallel, social movements, national and international institutions, as well as individual people have contributed to pushing gender issues to the forefront of public attention and onto the political agenda (most emblematically maybe #metoo and the recent Pélicot trial in France).

Social tolerance for gender discrimination has been declining in the western world since the 1990s, and many western countries have undertaken efforts to improve legislations and policies in fields such as gay marriage, political representation, violence against women and sexual minorities, transgender rights, harassment or social policies. Scholars and (more rarely) political practitioners have also proposed critical reflections on policy fields that are not as “obviously” gendered (such as foreign affairs, defence policy or economic policy).

However, as every time in history when gender equality has been successfully promoted, backlash has surfaced too: on the part of conservative women;  most recently on the part of right-wing populists in Europe and of evangelical-religious conservatives in the United States; and of misogynistic “manosphere” influencers (such as Andrew Tate) online. In France for instance, a controversy over the alleged imposition of “gender theory” in schools emerged in 2011 in the context of the debate over gay marriage[3].

More worryingly even, some western governments have launched a frontal attack against Gender Studies, gender equality institutions and gender-sensitive scholars. For instance, in 2018, the Hungarian government launched a rhetorical and institutional attack against gender studies and withdrew accreditation to Gender Studies Programmes. More recently, the US government barred DEI programmes and cut funding to any research – and international research cooperation -  mentioning gender, including on issues that cannot possibly be rendered “gender neutral” (women’s reproductive health for example, or gender inequalities).

In many other countries too (including France, Germany, Italy or Brazil), attempts have been made to turn gender into a controversial signifier meant to attract a disparate collection of grievances against a supposed “gender theory” – a nebulous concept that does not as such exist in the academic world[4].

[1] Cf. for example the meta-analysis by Merone, Tsey, Russle and Nagle (2022).

[2] See for example Jenson&Lépinard (2009).

[3] On anti-gender campaigns in Europe, see for example Paternotte&Kuhar (2018) ; on gender and far-right politics, Köttig, Bitzan and Pétö (2017), on conservative « feminism », Celis and Chils (2014).

[4] For a comprehensive analysis, cf. Butler (2024).


******************************

The LISER Research Ethics Committee (REC), together with the competence center for experimental and participatory research (ccEXPAR), in collaboration with the Luxembourg Gender Working Group of the research sector, proposes a day-long event intended as a forum where to discuss “gender” in research and civil society practice, and foster dialogue between researchers and civil society organisations. We would like to take stock of where we stand today in terms of both achievements and challenges; raise pertinent questions for the future; and contribute to connecting interested researchers and practitioners.

The workshop is open to all interested participants regardless of status or affiliation. It is structured in two parts, that can be attended individually or as a whole.

 

The first part (9:00-12:45) focuses on academic and applied research. It aims to illustrate and discuss why gendering research and research ethics matters: how it can be done; what (theoretical, methodological and ethical) implications come with the intention to explicitly and systematically take into account the gendered nature of society, institutions, organisations, policies and daily practices. We would also like to discuss what is to be gained from gendering research it, such as: new and exciting research questions; a new perspective or a crucial re-evaluation of existing research; new methodological and ethical concerns, etc.). We would also like to discuss the importance of participatory approaches to gender-sensitive research.

The second session (14:00–18:00) focuses on civil society action and how acknowledging the gendered nature of society and research shapes what we see, how we act, and how we frame our work. It aims to foster collaboration between researchers and civil society organisations promoting gender equality. The session will provide space to discuss the challenges and priorities these organizations face and how evidence-based analysis can support advocacy and policy change. It will also explore how research can benefit from the knowledge of civil society actors closely connected to affected communities. By adding a gender perspective to the world café with civil society members (associations, foundations, gender equality officers in municipalities), our intention is to give voice to groups often left out of traditional research (LGBTQ+ communities). Integrating a gender-sensitive approach supports empowerment and transformation (policy advocacy and action). The session encourages reflection on gender bias and promotes transformative, inclusive, and gender-sensitive research and action.

  

The whole workshop will be interactive in nature and will leave space for participants to speak of their own projects, initiatives and concerns. It integrates a gender perspective into participatory research. Gender roles and power dynamics affect how individuals participate, express themselves, and are impacted by decisions. If gender is not considered, participatory methods can unintentionally reinforce existing inequalities. To make participatory methods gender-sensitive, the seminar is led by facilitators who are trained in gender sensitivity and who recognize that all genders contribute valuable perspectives, even if informal or traditionally overlooked.  They also guarantee ethical safeguards.

david patternote

David Paternotte is a professor of sociology at the Université libre de Bruxelles, where he co-directs the Interdisciplinary Research Structure on Gender (STRIGES) and the Institute of Sociology (IS). He is one of the founders of the Interuniversity Advanced Master’s in Gender Studies, which brings together the six universities of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.

In addition to numerous invitations to present his work internationally, David Paternotte has been a visiting researcher or professor at many institutions, including the European University Institute, the University of Cambridge, the University of Montreal, and the London School of Economics and Political Science.

His work focuses on gender, sexuality, and social movements. In addition to numerous articles and book chapters, he is the author of Revendiquer le “mariage gay”: Belgique, France, Espagne (2011). He has also directed many collective volumes, including The Lesbian and Gay Movement and the State (2011, with Manon Tremblay and Carol Johnson), LGBT Activism and the Making of Europe: A Rainbow Europe? (2014, with Phillip Ayoub), the Ashgate Research Companion to Lesbian and Gay Activism (2015, with Manon Tremblay), and Anti-Gender Campaigns: Mobilizing against Equality (2017, with Roman Kuhar) / Campagnes anti-genre en Europe: Des mobilisations contre l’égalité (2018, with Roman Kuhar).

He is co-director of the “Global Queer Politics” series (Palgrave, with Sonia Corrêa, Jordi Díez, and Matthew Waites) and the “Genre(s) & Sexualité(s)” series (Éditions de l’Université de Bruxelles, with Cécile Vanderpelen).

Provisional Program
Morning session (English) – for researchers only
9:00 AM
Introductions and welcome
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM
Introductory lecture by Prof David Paternotte and discussion
10:15 AM - 10:45 AM
Q&A
10:45 AM - 11:15 AM
Coffee break ☕
11:15 AM - 12:45 PM
Mini-workshops
Afternoon session (French and English) – for researchers and associations
2:00 PM
Introduction et (re)bienvenue / Introduction and (re)welcome
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Table ronde / Round table
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Pause café / Coffee break ☕
4:00 PM - 5:15 PM
World Café / World Café
5:15 PM - 6:00 PM
Discussion finale et apéro / Final discussion and drinks
Organised by

Lea Sgier I University of Geneva & LISER Research Ethics Committee

Alain Loute I University of Louvain & LISER Research Ethics Committee

Carole Blond-Hanten I LISER

Event organizer:
For further questions, do not hesitate to contact us. Also, if you registered but are unable to attend last minute, please inform the organizers.
carole.blond-hanten@liser.lu

REC: REC is LISER's institutional Research Ethics Committee composed of internal and external members. Its main tasks are to assess research proposals from a research ethics perspective, advise researchers on ethical issues in ongoing research projects, and provide a forum for discussion of ethical issues in research.

ccEXPAR: ccEXPAR is the LISER competence centre in Experimental and Participatory Research. The aim of ccEXPAR is to improve awareness of and skills in experimental and participatory research methods to strengthen LISER’s position at the forefront of internationally high quality, scientifically rigorous and societally relevant research. One of the activities of ccEXPAR is to allocate seed grants to LISER staff in order to test and experiment methodologies with high innovative potential

GWG: Gender Working Group (GWG) is a trans-institutional working group, bringing together the expertise from various gender experts, staff delegation representatives and researchers from the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER), the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), the University of Luxembourg (UL), and the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR).

Alain Loute: Alain Loute has been an external member of REC since 2019. He is Professor of Ethics at the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry of the Catholic University of Louvain. He is also Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Public Health. His research topics include: the ethics of digital health, gender and health, ethics of place.

Lea Sgier : Lea Sgier has been an external member of REC since 2019 (and its chair from 2021-24), and is also a senior lecturer in political science at the University of Geneva. She has worked on gender issues in political representation, gender equality institutions and gendered aspects of citizenship, and has been in charge of the Gender&Politics Working Group of the Swiss Political Science Association since 2010.

Carole Blond-Hanten: Carole Blond-Hanten, a trained sociologist, works at LISER since 2007. She is member of the Steering Committee of LISER's Competence Centre for Experimental and Participatory Research (ccEXPAR). Her involvement in the Gender Game (GG) project reflects her strong interest in science outreach and promoting public engagement in research.

Upcoming events

Stay at the forefront of innovation by attending our upcoming events, where industry expertise and professional connections converge.

Explore all department events
AWARDS
CONFERENCE
Industrial

In recent years, there has been a discernible shift in the discourse on industrial relations in Europe. Contentious collective bargaining in response to surging inflation, tighter labour markets leading to a stronger bargaining position for workers, renewed strike activity in many countries and organising drives in the low-wage service sector have been noticeable developments. These changes contrast with the preceding decades marked by the erosion of sectoral collective bargaining and associated institutions.