Gender Studies Association publishes open letter protesting proposed Hungarian law to ban Gender Studies

In a recent letter to the Hungarian Minister of Education Jozsef Bodis, the Gender Studies Association (Fachgesellchaft Geschlechterstudien) express discontent with a recent draft of a bill that could threaten the future of Gender Studies programs at Hungarian Universities. Since re-election of prime minister Victor Orban, the political climate in Hungary has continued to amplify conservative, right-wing nationalist sentiments. Along with its anti-immigrant, isolationist politics, Orban's administration instrumentalizes religious beliefs to justify 'democratic' processes, including current measures to ban Gender Studies programs at Universities. Only two universities in Hungary offer Gender Studies M.A. degrees. In their letter, members of T.U. Berlin'S ZIFG thus urge Bodis to challenge the proposed legislation: "We write to you today to protest against this decision. Never before has a democratic government sought to legislate the curriculum of universities without consultation with appropriate university institutions."

For more information, please find the full letter here.