The backlash against gender equality, or what its advocates describe with terms such as 'gender ideology' and 'wokeism', is reaching an ever-rising crescendo in Europe and countries across the globe. It poses a major threat to the hard-won achievements of the feminist movement. But what are the forces pushing the 'anti-gender movement' – and how should we respond to it? How is it manifesting itself differently in different countries, and how are politicians exploiting it? How is it seeking to antagonise men's insecurities, whilst offering few solutions to the problems they face? And what can organisations working with boys and men, and each of us as individuals, do in this critical moment? Expert Aleks Dimitrijevic provides us with vital insights. 

Aleks is the co-founder and president of Men Against Violence in Malta, and a member of the Steering Committee of MenEngage Europe. He talks to us about how Malta was until recently the only country in the EU to completely outlaw abortion, how activists are continuing to struggle to lift the draconian restrictions against it, and the personal challenges he and his family have faced for campaigning in this area.

• Men Against Violence: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068193336893
• Men 4 Dem project: https://www.men4dem.eu/
• MenEngage Europe: https://menengage.org/region/europe/

Thank you to Dom Stichbury and Chaps Choir for our new podcast music, with their song 'Now is time' https://www.facebook.com/ChapsChoir/

Episode timeline

• Introduction
• Gender (in)equality in Malta (02:12-05:17)
• The struggle to lift Malta’s abortion ban (05:17-08:01)
• Religious obstacles (08:01-10:39)
• Personal challenges Aleks and his family have faced (10:39-15:04)
• What is backlash? (15:04-17:05)
• Key issues for the 'anti-gender' movement (17:05-20:17)
• Resistance to preventing violence against women (20:17-26:13)
• The weaponisation of men’s issues (26:13-29:08)
• The 'men’s rights' movement (29:08-38:15)
• Break
• Right-wing populism and the mainstreaming of the 'anti-gender' movement (38:18-44:53)
• What people working with boys and men can do about it (44:53-48:27)
• Who is funding the backlash (48:27-51:36)
• Communicating in a language men and boys understand (51:36-55:47)
• Conclusion [Connections with climate denial; Struggles on the left; Parallels with the 1930s; Majority opinion; Building the next generation of activists] (55:47-01:02:24)

More info

• ‘‘Women are treated like walking incubators’: Malta’s fight for abortion’ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/19/the-fight-for-abortion-in-malta
• ‘Malta to allow abortion but only when woman’s life is at risk’ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/28/malta-to-allow-abortion-but-only-when-womans-life-is-at-risk
• ILGA – “For the seventh year in a row, Malta continues to occupy the number one spot on the Rainbow Europe Map, with a score of 92%” https://www.ilga-europe.org/report/rainbow-europe-2022/
• Women’s Rights Foundation https://www.wrf.org.mt
• Susan Faludi, ‘Backlash’ https://susanfaludi.com/backlash.html
• Susan Faludi, ‘Stiffed’ https://susanfaludi.com/stiffed.html
• Agnieszka Graff and Elżbieta Korolczuk, ‘Anti-Gender Politics in the Populist Moment’ https://www.routledge.com/Anti-Gender-Politics-in-the-Populist-Moment/Graff-Korolczuk/p/book/9780367679507
• European Parliamentary Forum https://www.epfweb.org