EU Multilevel Governance and the Disobedient Gender Movement in Poland

By connecting Multilevel Governance Theory (MLG) with Hannah Arendt’s concept of civil disobedience, this lecture by Dr. Berit Ebert elaborates on the access of the gender equality concerns in Poland to the institutionalized policy-making realm of the European Union (EU). Whereas the 2023 Polish parliamentary elections are often depicted as a great success for women’s and LGBTQIA+, it will be shown that translatability of gender topics to the EU via subnational channels is quantitatively and qualitatively deficient. A variety of access configurations depend on the impact of gender roles in national contexts and lead to different legitimacy constellations across EU Member States.

Dr. Berit Ebert specializes in European Union law with a focus on gender equality. She received her master’s (2006) and doctoral degrees (2012) in political science from Aachen University, and a master’s degree in European studies (2007) from Vienna University. Her current research interests lie at the intersection of gender equity, democracy, and the rule of law, as well as the judicial reform in Poland, and subnational influence on supranational policymaking. She is the author of Wie Europa Zeus bändigte. Transnationalität im Gleichstellungsrecht der Europäischen Union (Equality and Gender in the Jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice. An Analysis Considering Contemporary Theories of Justice) (Tectum/Nomos, 2021), which elaborates on the impact of EU citizens on the development of the Union’s gender equality framework. Her articles appeared in the Open Gender Journal, Democracy SOS, and The Berlin Journal. Recent articles are “The Power of One Woman: The Progress of Gender Equality in the European Union” (2023) and “Gender Equality und Rechtsstaatlichkeit in der EU. Die polnische Justizreform” (2022).

Berit Ebert is also the Director of Public Programs and Strategic Initiatives at Bard College Berlin. Prior, she served as Vice President of Programs at the American Academy in Berlin, where she oversaw the institution’s academic and public programming. She was affiliated with the UNESCO in South Africa and the Committee for Foreign Affairs at the Deutsche Bundestag.

This lecture is part of the Faculty Colloquium Series.

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For more information, e-mail [email protected].

Time: 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm CET/GMT+1

Location: P24 Seminar Room 8

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