ABSTRACT

This chapter elaborates the idea of gender, generation and culture (GGC) in a highly differentiated European context and sketches spaces for the empowerment of women in terms of more gender equality. It provides a relational concept of gender, generation and culture referring in particular to the structural framework and hegemonies. The chapter examines the meaning of the heterosexual matrix, referring to sex, gender and desire allowing for a critical reflection of hetero-normativity. It highlights the most relevant issues in Balkan countries and identifies indicators for assessing the potential for democratization. The chapter also highlights the crucial role of strict gender-specific hierarchies determining societal orders: a strict gender specific division of labour assigning men to the production field and women to the reproduction field and the systematic devaluation of women cause severe societal asymmetries and discrimination. The Gender Gap Report investigates the ageing societies' trends and indicates a correlation between gender balance and ageing.