The Quality of Gender Democracy in the European Union: study of two legislative processes (RECON)

The researchers examine the gendered nature of democratic decision making and the formulation and transposition of gender equality through the use of Goods and Services directive (2004/113 Ε.U) into national law as it is was adopted by six European states (Austria, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Spain). The research focused in a detailed description of the process which leads to the enactment of the directive by the member states. They explore the manner in which national gender dispositions interact with the intuitional environment to shape legislative outcomes. With this project the contributors are able to bring some insights of women’s power and influence, of each researcher’s nation in the various institutions of the EU. The research shows some inbuilt institutional weaknesses of each member -state of the EU concerning processes and practices so far as the gender perspective is concerned. Thus, the study shows that in the states we examined, female citizens’ claims are not put forth with the same degree of intensity and consequently the results vary. Therefore, gender relations are not equally represented by the member- states we examined.