This article explores how religious Latvian women draw on the Bible to discuss gender equality, examining the construction of their theologically based arguments and the conceptualization of gender equality within these discussions. The study investigates factors such as age, denomination, and education level that may influence their opinions. The findings reveal a "biblical reception at the grassroots," diverging from official religious community settings. Women, despite general assumptions or stereotypes, independently navigate gender roles through both religious texts and personal interpretations. The analysis applies gender theory, intersectionality, and reception history, emphasizing the role of biblical sources in shaping gender equality discourses. In the unique Latvian context, marked by a recent reversal of women's ordination and cultural tensions with the Western world, these women's perspectives on the Bible and gender equality offer distinctive and compelling insights.

Religion plays a public role in gender politics in a variety of ways. In public discussions, religious actors often oppose gender as a concept based on social construction and imposed by what they call “gender ideology.” Concerns that this “ideology” could hijack the legal discourse is a common basis of their argumentation in the discussions on the ratification of the Istanbul Convention. This paper presents the main results of the analysis of Lithuanian and Latvian secular and religious media coverage of the Istanbul Convention between 2011 and 2021. Both countries have signed but not ratified the Convention. The analysis shows that actors linked to religious organisations entered the mass media discourse by presenting arguments against the ratification of the Convention, which overlap with and support the opinions expressed by conservative political actors. These arguments are based on the idea that the Istanbul Convention is a threat to the future legal support of the natural rights of men and women, their natural roles and traditional and Christian values. The media discourse and the arguments used are similar in both countries, but the discursive strategies of religious and political actors differ. In Lithuania, where the Catholic Church is supported by tradition, religious actors are more often and more directly involved in the public debate than in Latvia. Nevertheless, in both countries, the religious voices analysed contributed to the rise of antigenderist discourse in the post-secular public sphere and to the politicisation of religion.

Our paper provides theoretical research on how gender equality and gender justice are conceptualised in general and in Estonia and Norway in particular. The theoretical part examines the origins of the concepts of gender equality and gender justice, emphasising the importance of addressing aspects of recognition and distribution. It then turns to the specific cases of Estonia and Norway, applying this two-dimensional approach. We underscore the contrasting realities in Estonia and Norway: while both countries have legal frameworks for gender equality, there are significant differences in popular support. We also analyse the influence of religious factors on the conceptualisation of gender equality and gender justice in Estonia and Norway. Estonia's complex relationship with religion, influenced by its Soviet past and nationalist sentiments, poses challenges to promoting gender equality. In contrast, Norway's more substantial religious presence, particularly with the role of the Church of Norway, does not seem to have hindered a wider acceptance of gender equality. Understanding the intersection of religious influences, societal contexts and legal frameworks is crucial for advancing gender justice in both countries.