RE-WIRING: European project on gender equality has started
The first annual meeting of the RE-WIRING Consortium was held on 2 June 2023 at Utrecht University. The focus of the RE-WIRING project is on eliminating root causes of inequalities in institutions and rewire them so as to empower women and girls. The EU Horizon funded project is led by Linda Senden, professor of International and European Law at Utrecht University.
The Realising Girls’ and Women’s Inclusion, Representation and Empowerment (RE-WIRING) research project has been awarded funding by the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation – Horizon Europe. The project aims to identify the structural root causes of gendered power hierarchies, whether gender-blind or gender-neutral, in European countries and beyond. Through transformative research, RE-WIRING seeks to rewire institutions to prevent and reverse gender inequalities, catalyse change processes, and actively involve diverse stakeholders in the research process. This approach generates socially robust knowledge necessary for sustainable and enduring transitions towards a more inclusive and equal society.
Multidisciplinary approach
RE-WIRING will take a holistic, multidisciplinary approach using innovative ways to map out how interrelations of power and specific barriers shape gender (in)equality and exclusion within the political, social, economic and cultural spheres, and how these can be effectively changed.
We aim to advance knowledge while also developing innovative tools and practical solutions.
Our project is ambitious in its aim to advance scientific theorization and knowledge while developing innovative tools and practical solutions. To achieve this goal, we consider the institutional, experiential and symbolical dimensions that are key for bringing change as well as the contextual factors of intersectionality, culture, and crisis. By taking these factors into account, we aim to develop a nuanced understanding of the complexities and interrelationships that impact gender equality and create more effective and sustainable solutions
, explains Linda Senden, (project leader).
The project will result in tangible policy recommendations for targeted and pragmatic programmes that contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goal for the empowerment of women and girls (SDG 5) as well as providing practical toolkits and training.
Participating Universities and partners in RE-WIRING
The RE-WIRING project is a collaborative effort involving extensive research across six countries and beyond: Belgium (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven), the Netherlands (Utrecht University and Centre for Inclusive Leadership – CFIL), Spain (University of Deusto), South Africa (University of the Western Cape), Poland (Uniwersytet Gdański), and the UK (University of Portsmouth Higher Education Corporation). The project involves a wide range of stakeholders, including the OECD, CEC, UN Women and ETUI, and brings together researchers from diverse disciplinary backgrounds, including law, social sciences, humanities, gender studies, media and culture, and political science.