UNTWIST briefing 02: Strengthening Democracy By Improving Gender Representation

This is policy briefing number 2 of the UNTWIST project. 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
To re-engage voters who have shifted to RWPPs, mainstream parties, policymakers, and civil society organisations must address the root causes. By implementing and clearly communicating policies that address their economic, educational, and family concerns, these voters’ trust in the political system can be restored. A nuanced approach that recognises gendered experiences without emphasising ideology will be key to crafting effective responses.

People are different. Citizens have different needs, demands and concerns related to their sex and gender, all of which are legitimate and deserve adequate representation by democratic political parties. When mainstream political parties fail to represent those needs, particularly for vulnerable sectors, it undermines democracy's fairness, legitimacy, and inclusiveness, making it less representative of society as a whole. In our current European political context, in which extremist discourses challenge advances in favour of equality between men and women, there is room for RWPP to occupy the space of representation left opened by mainstream parties, to instrumentalise gender demands and, to offer a twisted representation through their illiberal ideology, posing a threat to the protection of individual liberties which is one of the fundamental principles of democracy. This is particularly true for gender and sexual rights, threatening the advancements of feminism in the last decades.

In autumn 2023, UNTWIST analysed the needs of RWPP voters who had previously supported mainstream parties. Between 2023 and 2024, UNTWIST conducted 18 focus groups in Spain, the UK, Denmark, Germany, Hungary and Switzerland, gathering the voices of these voters. The main policy implications derived from our findings are:
● For Mainstream parties: Voters switched due to frustration. Improving representation will prevent alienation and strengthen democracy.
● Policymakers: Develop tangible policies with visible benefits for voters.
● Civil society organisations: Communicate the benefits of policies that address economic insecurity, education, and family support.
● All actors: Address gender needs without framing them solely as gender equality, prioritising practical solutions to economic, family, and social challenges.