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Description
Gender equality as a condition for sustainable economic and social development and welfare is widely acknowledged and religion often is seen as an obstacle for implementation for this ideal. Through a series of case studies, the project offers a contribution to a better understanding of a variety of impacts religious communities make on gender regimes in the Baltic States and Norway. The aim of the research project is to investigate the role of religion on the implementation of gender equality and to disclose the intra religious and interreligious developments for sustaining or resisting gender equality in the participating countries. The project objectives are as follows: 1. To investigate the development of gender equality concept and its perceptions in the Baltic and Nordic societies throughout the processes of transition from socialist to post-socialist, from industrial to post-industrial society; 2. To research the diversity of the intra religious, i.e. inner developments within religious groups regarding gender equality covering both the minority and majority religions, their similarities and differences in the participating countries; 3. To examine the interreligious developments related to gender equality in the participating countries; 4. To research the role of religions in the participating countries in the construction of public discourse on gender equality; 5. To examine the transmission of gender (in)equality throughout the religious socialization focusing on the textbooks of religious education in the participating countries. The project will provide knowledge necessary for sustainable development, adaptation and implementation of gender policies, preparation of specific measures suitable for specific national and regional contexts and results will be presented for the academic community in the organized international conference and academic publications, as well as for local communities and media.
Summary of project results
Gender equality as a condition for sustainable economic and social development and welfare is widely acknowledged, and religion is often seen as an obstacle to the implementation of this ideal. Through a series of case studies, the project contributes to a better understanding of religious communities'' various impacts on gender regimes in the Baltic States and Norway. The project aimed to investigate the role of religion as a system of beliefs and practices and religious organizations in implementing gender equality and to disclose the intra-religious and interreligious developments for sustaining or resisting gender equality in the participating countries.
The project tasks included (1) the investigation of the development of the gender equality concept and its perceptions in the Baltic and Nordic societies throughout the processes of transition from socialist to post-socialist, from industrial to post-industrial society; (2) research of the diversity of the intra-religious developments regarding gender equality in minority and majority religions; (3) examination of the interreligious developments related to gender equality; (4) research of the role of religions in the construction of public discourse on gender equality; and (5) examination of the transmission of gender (in)equality throughout the religious socialization focusing on the textbooks of religious education.
The project contributed to the aim of the Baltic Research program to increase social inclusion by fighting gender inequality in various spheres of everyday life, particularly in religion and culture. Research team members investigated the complex relationship between religion and gender and its influence on implementing gender equality in the participating countries. The results of this project provide knowledge on the response of sociocultural background on the implementation of gender equality. The project contributes to understanding the sociocultural background, its argumentation, and discursive practices. It provides the knowledge necessary for sustainable development, adaptation, and implementation of gender policies in the Baltic countries and Norway as preparation of specific measures suitable for specific national and regional contexts. The project results were presented and discussed with local communities, NGO representatives, and representatives of local and national governments.
Summary of bilateral results
The project team consisted of researchers of religion, as well as scholars specializing in gender studies, education, theology and social anthropology. This combination of various perspectives to gender and religion relations in contemporary sociocultural context allowed for successful combination of interdisciplinary approaches and produced innovative scientific results, both theoretical and methodological insights.