The rise of populism within the European Union (EU) threatens the protection of human rights, including gender-equality. Although several studies tried to explain the effect of populism on gender...Show moreThe rise of populism within the European Union (EU) threatens the protection of human rights, including gender-equality. Although several studies tried to explain the effect of populism on gender-equality, they do so by using case study analyses focusing mainly on populist rhetoric. To deepen the understanding of previous research, this study reanalyzes the effect of populism on gender-equality. I add to the existing literature by taking a quantitative approach studying the effect of right-wing populism on gender-equality within the EU. Using an Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression analysis, I combine several datasets to explore the relationship between 2010 and 2021 within all EU member states. I hypothesize that countries which contain a higher share of right-wing populist posts as part of the total cabinet posts, show lower levels of gender-equality. To test this hypothesis, I identify right-wing populist parties within the EU by using data of the Supplement to the Comparative Political Data Set – Government Composition 1960-2021 dataset (CPDS). Moreover, I operationalize gender-equality consulting the Gender Equality Index (GEI) measured by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE). The results illustrate the effect of populism on gender-equality is context-dependent, meaning that populism only influences some areas of gender-equality.Show less
