Gender (In)equality and Gender Politics in Southeastern Europe ― A Question of Justice

The collapse of socialist regimes across Southeastern Europe changed the rules of the political game overnight and led to the transformation of these societies, immediately affecting the status of women.

The contributors to this volume contrast how the status of women in the post-socialist societies of the region evolved and address three central questions: First, in what ways have the situations of women and of sexual minorities changed since 1989/90? Second, to what extent have the dominant religious organizations in the region and local nationalists succeeded in promoting traditional values, how have their neo-traditional narratives challenged women and impacted sexual minorities, and how have local feminists and gay activists responded to such narratives? And third, how have the values of local citizens changed since the end of socialism, as regards gender-related and sex-related matters?

Christine M. Hassenstab holds a J.D. from Golden Gate University School of Law and a Ph.D. in Sociology from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). She is an Adviser in the EU Grants Office at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), in Trondheim, Norway.

Sabrina P. Ramet holds an M.A. in International Relations from the University of Arkansas and a Ph.D. in Political Science from UCLA. She is a Professor of Political Science at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway.