Francesca Feo
Postdoctoral Fellow, Political Science
Francesca Feo joined the SUCCESS team as Postdoctoral fellow in March 2023. Her main research interests are the politics of gender and LGBTIQ policy-making, and the gendered organizational cultures of parliamentary institutions and political parties with a focus on populism and the radical right.
Francesca obtained her PhD in Political Science and Sociology at Scuola Normale Superiore, in Florence, in February 2023. Her thesis explored the varieties of institutional resistance to the adoption and implementation of gender and LGBTIQ policies in Italy between 1995 and 2021, focusing on the mechanisms, framing strategies and actors involved in undermining inclusionary policy efforts. She holds a MA from the University of Bologna and a BA from the University of Pisa.
Francesca’s work appears, among others, in Politics & Gender, the European Journal of Politics and Gender, and the International Political Science Review. She is co‐convenor of the standing group on gender and politics of the Italian Political Science Association (SISP).
In the SUCCESS project Francesca aims to explore the consequences of political endurance on policy-making in the field of gender+ equality, as well as the interconnections between politicians’ endurance and public opinion attitudes towards politics in highly volatile party systems.
Before joining the SUCCESS project Francesca has contributed to different projects on gender inequality and worked as a consultant on gender equality for different associations and organizations, such as International IDEA in Stockholm.
Get to know Francesca
Is there a TV-show you are binging now?
I’m more of a movie person, I’m afraid — so no juicy TV recommendations here.
Which podcasts are you listening to right now and why?
Every morning starts with Prima Pagina, an Italian press review that keeps me connected to home. It’s my way of pretending I still understand what’s going on in Italian politics while living abroad.
I’m also a regular listener of The Ezra Klein Show (for US politics and existential questioning), and Morgana — a brilliant Italian podcast about “unconventional” women and non-binary people from around the world. It's like a feminist biography buffet, and I love it.
And for my random curiosity cravings — from ancient crocodiles to cosmic wormholes — I turn to the BBC’s In Our Time.
Is there a book you would recommend within your field?
Just one?! Impossible. Here are two:
The Global Fight Against LGBTI Rights by Ayoub and Stoeckl — rich in theory, solid in research, and (unfortunately) increasingly relevant in today’s polarized discussions around SOGI rights. And a classic: Masculinities by Raewyn Connell. A must-read. Timeless and thought-provoking.
Which novel would you recommend for purely entertainment purposes?
The Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi — it’s funny, bold, and a little chaotic (in the best way). A coming-of-age tale with a punk rock London backdrop
How would you describe your desk?
Two oversized screens (because one just isn’t enough), stacks of books, open notebooks in various states of chaos, and at least one forgotten coffee cup.
There’s also a bright little plant doing its best to survive and some small photos of friends for moral support. It’s not full-on disaster zone… but we’re teetering on the edge.
What is your favorite thing to do to relax?
Being from Sicily, I’m hardwired to unwind near the sea — sailing, swimming, freediving, sunbathing, or simply zoning out while watching waves.
When the sea is out of reach (or it’s raining sideways in Bergen), I do yoga. Or… I iron clothes. Don’t judge — it’s strangely meditative.
If you had to choose one meal to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Pasta c’anciova — a humble, classic Sicilian dish with anchovies, tomato paste, oregano, and raisins. It smells like home and tastes like comfort. I could eat it forever and still go back for seconds.
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