Valentine Berthet

Valentine Berthet is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Centre for European Studies within the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Helsinki. She also serves as Principal Investigator (2025–2029) at Tampere University. Her work focuses on gender equality in parliamentary institutions, EU policies on gendered violence, and the intersection of feminist research methodologies with political contexts. Berthet’s research explores challenges such as anti-gender hostilities, normative whiteness in EU institutions, and the dynamics of political group advocacy.

Education and Professional Background: Holding a Doctorate (Dr.) and a Master of Laws (LL.M.), Berthet’s expertise spans political science and legal studies. She has conducted fieldwork in multiple European parliaments and collaborated with institutions like Fondation Jean Jaurès and Sciences Po during her academic visits.

Research Projects: Key projects include CCINDLE: Co-Creating Inclusive Intersectional Democratic Spaces Across Europe (EU Horizon Europe) and Gender, party politics and democracy in (ERC Consolidator Grant). These focus on advancing intersectional equality and analyzing gender policies within EU frameworks.

Professional Activities: Berthet has organized conferences, delivered guest lectures, and conducted peer reviews. Notable activities include a 2023 academic visit to Sciences Po and presentations on gender equality in European political groups. Her work frequently bridges academic research with policy advocacy, particularly through contributions to the MeTooEP campaign and Istanbul Convention debates.

Future Work: Current initiatives emphasize EU values in gendered violence legislation and the role of national delegations in shaping European Parliament politics. Berthet plans to expand studies on racism and normative whiteness in EU institutions, alongside methodological innovations in qualitative parliamentary research.