On 17 March, the Saló de Graus at UIC Barcelona hosted the presentation of the book Género, religión y derechos fundamentales. Desafíos jurídicos actuales (‘Gender, religion and fundamental rights: current legal challenges’), a collective volume that brings together the findings of a research project in which lecturers Montserrat Gas and Maria Mut from the Faculty of Law have participated, together with experts from other academic institutions.
The book forms part of the project Gender Equality and Beliefs in the Framework of the 2030 Agenda (PID2020-114400GB-I00), funded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, and sets out several of the project’s key research outcomes. It is also aligned with UIC Barcelona’s Agenda Humana 2030, particularly Sustainable Development Goals 5 (gender equality) and 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions). In addition, the publication is linked to the work of the Faculty of Law’s research group Rights, 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Recovery in Catalonia (RESCAT 2030).
The event took the form of a round table moderated by Montserrat Gas, professor in the Faculty of Law and a researcher in the RESCAT 2030 group. The session also featured senior lecturer Maria Mut, co‑author of the book and researcher in the same group, alongside leading academics such as Francisca Pérez‑Madrid (University of Barcelona), principal investigator of the project; Ana M.ª Vega (University of La Rioja); and Santiago Cañamares and Silvia Meseguer Velasco (Complutense University of Madrid).
A dialogue‑based and collaborative approach to a complex issue
During the discussion, Montserrat Gas situated the debate within the context of the 2030 Agenda, emphasising that “its principle of ‘leaving no one behind’ calls for the involvement of all social actors in building fairer and more inclusive societies”. In this regard, she proposed the need to examine the relationship between gender equality and religious freedom from a renewed perspective: “Perhaps the question is not whether they can coexist, but how they can be balanced so that neither is subordinated to, nor cancelled out by, the other.”
The book brings together leading specialists who rigorously analyse areas in which tensions often arise: the family and educational spheres, healthcare, state neutrality and gender identity. Far from offering simplistic answers, the volume proposes tools for balancing and achieving reasonable accommodation, making a relevant contribution to contemporary legal debate.
With this initiative, UIC Barcelona strengthens its commitment to impactful research and academic dialogue on major social and legal challenges.
