Navigating Resistance: Analysing the Complex Dynamics of Resistance in Gender Equality Policy Implementation in Universities

Maria Eugenia Vilarchao, Sofia Strid, Ildiko M. Ipolyi, Zoi Tatsioka and Faye Ververidou
Additional contact information
Maria Eugenia Vilarchao: European Science Foundation, France
Sofia Strid: Department of Sociology and Work Science, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Ildiko M. Ipolyi: Global Water Partnership Central Eastern Europe, Slovakia
Zoi Tatsioka: South‐East European Research Centre, Greece
Faye Ververidou: South‐East European Research Centre, Greece

Social Inclusion, 2025, vol. 13

Abstract: While resistance to gender equality policies across institutions has received considerable scholarly attention, the study of resistance to specific themes of gender equality, such as gender‐based violence (GBV), has gained significant momentum only over the last decade, especially in Central and Eastern European countries. This article analyses the development and implementation of gender equality plans (GEPs) with measures against GBV in higher education institutions (HEIs). It examines the strategies applied by institutions to develop or modify institutional policies and procedures to monitor, prevent, and address GBV, and the resistances encountered during these processes in the socio‐political context of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Empirically, the article is based on an analysis of institutional policies and the process of developing roadmaps for devising and implementing GEPs in eight sport HEIs in CEE. Theoretically, it situates resistance as acts of opposition and the implementation of gender equality policies as a result of power struggles between status quo and gender equality actors. Moreover, the article identifies forms of resistance and counteractions that hinder and drive gender equality reform in HEIs and proposes key initiatives and strategic priorities to support institutional change.

Keywords: Central and Eastern Europe; gender equality plans; gender mainstreaming; gender‐based violence; higher education institutions; implementation; institutional change; intersectionality; resistance; roadmaps (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/9939 (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cog:socinc:v13:y:2025:a:9939

DOI: 10.17645/si.9939

Access Statistics for this article

Social Inclusion is currently edited by Mariana Pires

More articles in Social Inclusion from Cogitatio Press
Bibliographic data for series maintained by António Vieira () and IT Department ().