Asst. Prof. Dr. Selvi Vural (faculty member in the Department of Aviation Management, School of Applied Sciences, Gümüşhane University, Türkiye) is talking about "Digital Resistance: Communication Strategies Against Anti-Gender Narratives in CEE and NME Countries". How can digital spaces become sites of resistance to anti-gender narratives? Selvi Vural explores communication strategies across Central and Eastern European and Neighbouring and Mediterranean countries, focusing on inclusive leadership, gender representation and civil-society communication. The lecture considers how organisational and communication research can inform the development of effective digital counter-narratives.

Dr. Bishnu Prasad Mohapatra (School of Liberal Arts, Dr. Viswanath Karad MIT-World Peace University (MIT-WPU), Pune, India) is talking about "Anti-Gender Movements, Rising Authoritarianism and Politics of Inclusion in Asian Nations: How are these different from Europe?" Anti-gender mobilisation is gaining visibility across Asia, but its political dynamics cannot simply be mapped onto the European experience. Drawing on India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and China, this lecture explores the relationship between anti-gender movements, authoritarian politics, democratic backsliding and struggles for women's and LGBTQ rights. It asks how democratic institutions and spaces for political participation can respond to increasingly restrictive political environments and strengthen social and political inclusion.

The COST Action Democratisation at Stake: Comparing Anti-Gender Politics presents its Autumn 2026 Lecture Series, bringing together international scholars and experts to discuss anti-gender politics, democratic backsliding, political inclusion, digital communication, higher education, law, and public policy. The series takes place entirely online, with a combination of live Zoom lectures and pre-recorded talks. All lectures will also be published on our YouTube channel.

As part of the conference ‘Historicising the Migration-Antigender Nexus’ (Amiens, 24–25 September 2026), a roundtable will take place on 25 September 2026.

The programme and photos from the Istanbul workshop can be viewed here.