Studiile de gen: un turnesol al democrației românești

This article argues that gender studies are a sensitive indicator for the quality of Romanian democracy. How gender studies have been established and (partly) institutionalized, the ideological and institutional obstacles that they have faced, as well as the political values and stakes that are present when they are promoted or contested are significant elements for understanding the process of democratization within the academic space, as well as the extent and quality of democracy in the country after 1989. In the first part, I analyze the dynamics of the establishment and institutionalization of gender studies in Romania, filling the gaps of current literature on the topic, especially when it comes to the more recent developments. This investigation allows the identification of relevant factors that are specific to the Romanian context and favoured or hindered the presence of these studies in local universities. In the second part, I analyze briefly the academic, ideological and political opposition to feminism, feminist studies and gender studies in Romania.