Democracy and citizens’ political engagement have been long-lasting policy goals of the European Union’s standards and values. The European Commission has established a new push for democracy as one of its priorities for 2019-2024, intending to foster democratic governance and civic participation. However, these objectives are challenging in light of transnational repression and the lack of policy tools for migrant protection in host societies across Western democracies, the primary recipients of human rights defenders.  However, the E.U. has overlooked the rapid change in more vibrant forms of migrant political activism and how authoritarian governments control their diasporas abroad. There is a knowledge gap in understanding transnational repression’s gendered effects on receiving countries’ political environment. WomenACT-REPinHOST advances global discussions on migrants’ rights by analysing Latin American women activists’ practices of resistance to transnational authoritarian rule. It also discusses how they could be best supported by international organisations and host countries’ democratic institutions.

Sexual assistance - activity in which professionals provide sexual services to people with disabilities - is a pioneering research topic in Portugal. At the European level there are associations that promote sexual assistance in several countries and in some of them it is a recognized service. In Portugal there is no association created for this purpose. However, sex workers provide sex services to clients with disabilities. To address the interest of some people with physical disabilities in resorting to sexual assistance, the research team, whom has a vast experience in the study of different axes of social oppression, identified the need to understand social representations of Portuguese population concerning sexual assistance and to start an informed debate in order to outline public policy recommendations. 

 SAGE (Systemic Action for Gender Equality) is an EU-Horizon 2020 funded project designed to seek stronger action on gender equality in higher education and research.The SAGE website is a portal for those who are interested in issues on gender equality and diversity in science and the research sector.