YOU-DARE: A Pan-European Project Tackles Gender Narratives in Far-Right Youth Movements

4 February 2025, Strasbourg – A pan-European consortium of leading research institutions and organisations is proud to announce the launch of YOU-DARE (YOUth Debunking the gendered Arguments of far-Right Extremism), a new project funded by the European Commission. YOU-DARE brings together interdisciplinary expertise from across Europe to investigate how far-right youth groups construct and mobilise gender identities, and how these narratives erode democratic values and behaviours. 

In recent years across the globe, far-right movements have increasingly utilised gender identities to promote exclusionary ideologies, simultaneously undermining democratic values. The YOU-DARE project seeks to illuminate this paradox by examining these dynamics through an intersectional lens that uncovers both the complexities and contradictions of gender constructions within far-right youth movements. 

Key focus areas include: 

• Intersectional Analysis: Challenging oversimplified views of far-right ideologies on gender by exposing the nuanced interplay between hyper-masculine/feminine tropes and pro-equality rhetoric within anti-immigration campaigns. 

• Youth Leadership: Exploring how youth leaders, including online influencers, shape far-right gender discourses. 

• Local and Transnational Dimensions: Conducting comparative case studies across eight countries—Denmark, Spain, the United Kingdom, France, Hungary, Italy, Romania, and Sweden—to understand how local dynamics connect to global trends. 

• Policy and Practice Innovation: Establishing a Policy Lab to co-design and pilot-test practical solutions for reducing the appeal of far-right ideologies among youth. 

Through its work and results, YOU-DARE will demonstrate the need for intervention across society. The YOU-DARE Toolkit and policy recommendations are designed to help policymakers tackle the spread of extremist gender ideals. The project will also offer powerful mutual learning opportunities through the Open Policy Lab, capacity-building workshops, and a Knowledge Sharing Platform. By clearly illustrating the influence of (hyper-)masculinity and femininity models within identity politics and presenting innovative solutions, the initiative will strengthen cross-national networking and collaboration among those working to prevent the spread of far-right ideologies among young people. It will also provide policymakers with the knowledge and evidence required to safeguard democratic values against the corrosive impact of far-right gender narratives. 

United by Expertise 

The YOU-DARE consortium brings together organisations from across Europe, combining diverse expertise in social sciences, gender studies, far-right politics, and participatory research. Partners include the European Science Foundation (project coordinator), Aalborg University in Denmark, Smart Venice, Goldsmiths University of London, Stockholm University, University of Glasgow, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Political Capital, University of Bucharest, ALDA (European Association for Local Democracy), and NetHood. Together, the consortium gathers decades of experience in research, policy design, and community engagement, and will collectively address the challenges posed by far-right youth movements. 

“We aim to research and expose the gendered narratives of far-right ideology and its appeal to youth, while providing evidence-based strategies to safeguard democracy and equality. YOU-DARE represents a unique research collaboration across disciplines and borders to generate robust and actionable knowledge for change.” said (Susi Meret, Aalborg University, Scientific Coordinator). 

To learn more about YOU-DARE, including its objectives, activities, and outcomes, please visit https://you-dare.eu or reach out to contact@you-dare.hu. 

You can find YOU-DARE on LinkedIn via linkedin.com/company/you-dare-eu/.

Key Facts 

• YOU-DARE (YOUth Debunking the gendered Arguments of far-Right Extremism) is funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions Programme. 

• Funded under Call No. “HORIZON-CL2-2024-DEMOCRACY-01", at a cost of € 2 999 642.50. 

• Grant Agreement No. 101178147.  

• The YOU-DARE will run for 36 months, starting 1st February 2025, to 31st January 2028.  

• YOU-DARE is coordinated by The European Science Foundation (ESF).