Does European Union studies have a gender problem? Experiences from researching Brexit

Abstract

On International Women’s Day 2017, EU Vice-President Frans Timmermans and High Representative Federica Mogherini claimed, “the European Union stands by women in Europe and around the globe today, as it did at the time of its foundation.” Indeed, (gender) equality has long been used as a foundational narrative of the EU (MacRae 2010). If we take these claims seriously, then gender-sensitive analysis should have a central place within EU studies. So, why do (gender) equality and the insights of feminist scholarship remain largely marginal to the EU studies canon? And how has the United Kingdom’s decision to exit the EU (Brexit) amplified this marginalization? By drawing on our experiences of researching and writing about the gendered impact of Brexit, we draw attention to significant blind spots at the heart of our discipline. This analysis ultimately highlights disparities in focus that reproduce disciplinary hierarchies