3.5.2 Divergent identification and emotional engagement with feminism Despite this general consensus, there is considerable variation among participants in terms of their emotional engagement with feminism and gender equality. Participants supporting feminism tend to exhibit high levels of interest and articulacy, contributing detailed knowledge and factual references. For example, when debating which lives are easier – men’s or women’s – a young man, notes that “From all my circle of friends, the sons are generally treated worse than the daughters”, indicating less psychological and emotional support for young men and higher expectations placed on them. Vanessa(female, 24, Berlin, mixed group) responds to him, saying: “It’s really interesting that you say that because I’ve heard it from other men too, that they feel treated more poorly at school compared to their sisters. At the same time, I also find it really interesting that sons or men still inherit more than women in Germany and that’s basically what I get from my family in the end.” In addition to such references to everyday experiences, it became apparent that particularly young women often draw on talking points and information from social media channels dealing with gender inequality. Jessica, female, 25, Berlin, mixed group: “We live in the social media era, which gives us much greater access to it. Or to the people affected. Everyone has the opportunity to learn about feminism if they want to”. Furthermore, many women referred to prominent cases that had dominated national news debates for some time. It is not always possible to determine whether participants encountered these stories primarily through social media, traditional media or interpersonal discussions. However, certain slogans or phrases associated with these events were widely recognised and resonated strongly within the discussions. In Greece, for instance, participants repeatedly referred to the phrase“a police car is not a taxi”, which became widely circulated after a highly publicised case of femicide. 57 Participants often connected this case to their own experiences and broader concerns about safety and institutional protection. Katerina(female, 27, Athens, all-female group) linked the public debate directly to her personal encounter with the police: “The fact that we go out and we are still chased by opportunists is tragic and we call the police. I had a bad incident. I am also one of those women. Okay, everything is fine supposedly. I called the police and they told me‘madam you are exaggerating. Calm down or I will hang up’.[…] We sit and discuss the phrase‘the patrol car is not a taxi’. But we don’t look behind it. What could have been done to prevent this.” For women identifying as feminists or sympathising with feminism, the term functions not only as a political framework but also as a source of emotional validation and a sense of belonging. Thaleia, female, 25, Athens, mixed group: “Just that personally, as a woman, it makes me feel safe to know that this term exists.[Moderator‘The feminist dimension?’] Yes. And to know that there is a side I can turn to if I feel some injustice or feel uncomfortable in some way.” They demonstrate a higher level of awareness of the differences between various feminist movements, emphasise the importance of intersectionality, criticise the commercialisation of feminism and reflect on debates about performative allyship (superficial support for marginalised groups, which lacks meaningful action and often serves the purpose of self-promotion). Although some men adopt a feminist stance, they perceive themselves to be less affiliated with 70 EqualiZe