INTERNATIONAL POLICY ANALYSIS On the way to gender equality? Reports from Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States L. EIGENMANN, Y. HOLL, E. KOVÁTS, J. MENGE, K. NINK, A. ROSENPLÄNTER, A. SALLES, C. SCHILDMANN March 2016 „ „ Equal rights for men and women are among the basic norms of modern societies. The actual implementation of equal rights is traditionally a central project of progressive political forces. „ „ Against the background of the demographic change that can be observed in many industrialised countries family and gender policy has also gained in economic and demographic policy significance. And indeed in recent years – sometimes by means of cross-party alliances – considerable progress has been made. „ „ However, in Germany but also in many other countries(neo) conservative and right­wing populist forces are marshalling against progressive gender and family policy. That is happening even in countries in which gender equality achievements long appeared to enjoy social consensus. „ „ This study brings together experiences and current family and gender policy debates from nine countries. It presents a broad comparative overview of the various approaches and debates in the countries concerned in concise reports.