What question did this study set out to answer?

The central aim is to explore how material insecurity relates to gender equality and political polarisation.

March 1, 20260 citationsOpen Access

UNTWIST Handbook: Securing Everyday Life to Secure European Democracy. Executive Summary of Policy Recommendations

AJAntonia María Ruiz Jiménez MCMarc Cases

Key Points

The central aim is to explore how material insecurity relates to gender equality and political polarisation.
Analyzed cross-national survey data from 10,000 respondents.
Conducted qualitative research to understand the impact of insecurity.
Developed participatory policy recommendations focused on five domains.
Identified five domains critical to material security: healthcare, housing, work-family balance, care, and labour market pathways.
Proposed policy packages designed to improve these domains.
Demonstrated that enhancing material security can strengthen democratic resilience.

Abstract

Executive Summary at a Glance Political polarisation around gender equality is often framed as a culture war. UNTWIST demonstrates that it is more fundamentally rooted in material insecurity across everyday domains of life. Drawing on cross-national survey evidence (10,000 respondents), qualitative research, and participatory policy development, the UNTWIST Handbook identifies five high-salience domains — healthcare, housing, work–family balance, care, and labour market pathways — where institutional responsiveness is most fragile. This Executive Summary presents prioritised EU-plausible policy packages designed to deliver visible improvements in these areas. By strengthening material security, the European Union can reduce the space for blame-based mobilisation and reinforce democratic resilience. Securing everyday life is not social policy alone — it is democratic stabilisation.

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