Gender equality, propelled by social movements everywhere in the world, moves at different speeds in different contexts. In the U.S., #MeToo has exposed how much violence still marks the lives of women. In Europe, particularly in Romania, Hungary, Finland and Germany, femicides still account for more than 80% of murders. Populism, male chauvinism, and misogyny have conquered the political imagination of sectors of the European and U.S. electorate. The situation outside of Europe and the U.S. continues to present gender equality as a distant goal. Nonetheless, women's activism is also having an effect, and the state of gender equality is changing at a fast pace. What are valuable parameters to identify progress in gender equality? How can perspectives on gender equality from Brussels and a U.S. research university help us look at the evolution of questions of rights?

This panel discussion brought together Maria Gabriela Zoana and Helga Varden to explore how politics and academia can come together to assess and advance gender equality in today’s world. Maria Gabriela Zoana is a Romanian Former Member of the European Parliament with expertise on questions of gender equality. Helga Varden is a Professor of Philosophy and Women and Gender Studies at the University of Illinois and a philosopher who has worked on feminism, ethics and law. The panel was moderated by Isabel Molina-Guzmán, Professor of Latina/Latino Studies and Associate Dean of Diversity & Inclusion, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at the University of Illinois.

This event was part of the #JMintheUS event series, an initiative of Jean Monnet Centers in the U.S.