Defending democracy, empowering women

The Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS), in collaboration with the Táncsics Mihály Foundation, has launched a dedicated initiative to discuss the political participation of women and to work against exclusionary trends with the aim of promoting gender-inclusive democracy. The event series started with a successful International Women’s Day conference in Budapest.

To reach and include also citizens outside the capital, the second event was held in Szeged. Participants discussed Women’s political power in Central Europe: Resistance to the far-right wave and State of women in authoritarian regimes with our speakers: 

• Sándor Szabó, Member of Parliament Hungary
• Éva Pakozdi, President of MENŐK
• Andrea Kis, Vice-Chair of the MSZP, former Deputy-Mayor of Hódmezővásárhel
• Ildikó Szondi, former local government representative
• András Pulai, Director of the Publicus Institute
• Éva Kőszeginé Szabó, Szeged Public life Cafe Health Section leader
• Dr. Zita Gurmai, Vice-chair of the MSZP, President of PES Women
• Dr. László Andor, Secretary General of FEPS

This event series feeds into the broader aim of enabling long-term institutional and societal change by fostering greater inclusion, amplifying women’s voices, and reinforcing democratic values against regressive forces in the European Union. This is more than just a conference— it is a call to action.

The time to push back against the erasure of women in politics is now.

For more information regarding the project and this event, please do not hesitate to contact Laeticia Thissen, Senior Policy Analyst on Gender Equality, FEPS (laeticia.thissen@feps-europe.eu) or Julia Wild, Project Officer, FEPS (julia.wild@feps-europe.eu).