ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we expligore the representation of gender and gendered narratives, and the ways in which they are (re)produced at the European Heritage Label sites. This European Union action still focuses on the mediation of grand European narratives that prioritize a white, male perspective, but a stronger representation of women and their perspectives is necessary in order to constitute a more inclusive and diverse conception of Europe’s past and present. Whether a gendered perspective is presented or not at the European Heritage Label sites is a political choice and affects the understanding of political, social, and gender equality in European societies, and the public recognition of gender roles. Gender equality has been one of the defining characteristics of European equality policy since the 1970s. Failing to reflect on the role of women in European history risks representing a ‘monolithic’ structure of society, and thus of who participates in the making of heritage. The European Heritage Label sites can play a crucial role in advancing these issues by addressing women’s role in all areas of social, political, and cultural production and transformation in the past and present, and in and outside Europe.
