Her Voice, Her Power - Towards a more visible role for women in the economy, politics and society.

Simone Veil, Marie Curie, Geneviève de Gaulle-Anthonioz all had a major influence on their society - in politics, public life and science. Not only were they pioneers of their time, they were also honoured as important figures in France in the Panthéon. Yet the view of women in the Panthéon is probably a rather rare one. In mid-February, participants of the ‘Her Voice, Her Power’ project met and visited the historic building in Paris to discover and learn more about the women who have played a crucial role in France's history.

This visit was the beginning of the two-day programme, organised by the ‘Jean Monnet Association’ (AJM), which aimed to understand “the role of women in political and social institutions today. The goal was to discover what role women play in leadership positions and institutions today, also highlighting the gender barriers women face today”, explains Alberto Lorente. He is a board member of the AJM, which as he notes, “is part of the ‘Her Voice, Her Power’ network - a project founded by the CERV programme (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values) of the European Commission. As part of this network, the fourth event is organised in France, bringing together representatives from NGOs, local councils, universities, and companies”.

A diverse range of sessions was organised, bringing together women with experience from different areas such as associations, companies, and on a political level in France. These women were invited to the French National Assembly to share their experiences and exchange with the participants about barriers and opportunities for women in political and leadership positions.

The focus was not only on France, but also on the other European partnering countries. Along with Danuta Hübner, chief negotiator for OECD from Poland and Sarmiza Bilcescu, gender equality advocate from Romania, there were prominent examples in every country of the participating partners, who have made a big difference and are regarded as role models for women. Besides Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, who played a key role in Latvia's integration into the EU, Slovenian climate scientist Lucka Kajfež Bogataj, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient for her contributions to climate change awareness, was also highlighted as a remarkable example.

“Self-confidence is the key to a successful path”, says Constance le Grip. She is a Member of the French Parliament - previously she was a Member of the European Parliament, also part of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality. To her, it is of importance that women gain more presence, visibility and assertiveness through more female empowerment. Underlying this objective she hosted the encounter in the French Parliament of that day, bringing together the different European project partners as well as representatives of other civil society and business organisations. She spoke in favour of women having the courage to take part in discussions, ask questions and engage in meaningful dialogue. Lina Galvez, also involved in this project, advocated the fact that women should play a more prominent leading role. She is a current Member of the European Parliament and chair of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality.

Practical approaches on how women can realise their full potential in society are also the focus of the Association ‘Expressions de France’. The organisation is dedicated to empowering women and helping them overcome societal barriers. Through a diverse range of educational programmes - particularly in schools - workshops are designed to help women overcome societal and mental barriers and build self-confidence. “What we can do is help women to pursue the life they want to live!”, says Yasmine Saada, a member of the team.

A view on how a successful role of women in working life can manifest itself was then given by Marie-Laure Charles, Member of the Administration Council of the Jean Monnet Association, and elected local politician in Neuilly-sur-Seine. She spoke about the historical role of women in politics and shared insights into the political system at national, regional and local level, also with regard to the parity law introduced in 1999. Remarkably, despite these provisions to provide equal numbers of female and male candidates, only 208 of the 577 members of the National Assembly are women, which is only 36.2%. This example shows that despite efforts, there is still much room for improvement in achieving gender equality. Practical efforts to advance the position of women do not only apply to the political sphere in France but also to the free market.

The insurance company Covéa has set the goal of “accompanying everyone to a sustainable world,” with a strong focus on social impact. A key priority in the Covéa Group's strategic plan is to promote professional equality and gender parity, as emphasised by Noelie Ewele and Koko Lawson - Adote. They are part of the initiative ‘Cov&elles’, a women's network as part of the Covéa Group, with the aim of the provision of resources to create the opportunity to promote women's professional careers and to create partnerships and networks across women. With great support from committed women in leadership positions, the network was able to reach many employees from different backgrounds, initiate discussions and implement new diversity, equity and inclusion policies

The insights gained from these examples of women’s engagement are valuable and relevant for the participants of the ‘Her Voice’ project. “I gained a deeper understanding of the different ways to engage and initiate change, the challenges these women are addressing, and the goals they are striving to achieve. I was truly inspired by their strength and confidence - how they have empowered themselves and are committed to helping other women reach their goals”, says Chiara Criscenti, a member of the Italian ‘Associazione Usamborgia’, a partner of the ‘Her Voice’ project.

However, it is not only developments in the French sector that play an important role, as this project is also primarily intended to draw attention to the European level. The representatives of the individual institutions from all participating countries presented noteworthy projects, all of which have set themselves the goal of improving the position of women in society and in leadership positions. In Sopot, Poland, for instance, the ‘Sopot women’s meetings’ are organised. This initiative, led by the mayor Magdalena Czarzyńska-Jachim, is aimed at the female citizens of Sopot and is designed to be a platform for exchange on a wide range of societal topics. This ranges from health and maternity to women’s rights, education, herstories in literature and many more. The aim of these meetings and discussions is to create awareness of how powerful the voice of women is in areas of everyday life, says Hanna Wyszyńska, responsible for this municipality project.

Visibility is also the focus of the Slovenian non-profit organisation ‘Ona Ve’ (She Knows), which aims to increase the representation of women in the media and at public events by addressing the imbalance - only 24% of media appearances in Slovenia feature women. The aim is to connect female experts from different fields and promote their visibility to make it easier for media organisers to find and feature them. This initiative was mentioned by Nina Palčič, who teaches robotics for children and is part of the ‘Kočevje Business Incubator’, also a partner of the Her Voice project. Her goal is to get more girls interested in her field: “I think it's important that we talk about the need for more women working in STEM fields”.

Enhanced women's participation is also a key topic for Rosa Salas and Miguel Martín Ramos, from the Yuste Foundation, a Spanish partner of the project. They highlighted women's involvement in rural areas through the ‘Regional Council of Women of La Vera’. This collaborative effort, in partnership with the county development association and the Regional Council of Women, has created a strong platform for women to contribute to their region’s social and economic development. The council represents 19 municipalities in northern Extremadura, supporting democratic participation, amplifying women's voices in public institutions, enhancing communication between politicians and citizens, and raising awareness of women's challenges.

These examples of women's organisations are just three of a total of eight presentations by partners from different countries. Another notable feature of the project is the participation of women from Ukraine. Although not part of the EU, the various partners have joined forces to finance the participation of the Ukrainian partners with their budget, as women's issues also play a major role in Ukraine: “I have been experiencing and witnessing not fair treatment of women since my student years, and the situation became even worse with COVID and the war. The initiative is important for sharing our problems, possible solutions and best practices (...) For Ukrainians specifically, it's extremely important nowadays to feel included, heard, and supported, as well as to be able to provide updates on our war situation and share our insights”, says Natalia Horbal - part of the Department of Polytechnic in Lviv.

Exchanging shared experiences and insights from their respective communities and countries' experiences is a crucial part of the project. In a workshop, the participants discussed the barriers that women face today and the solutions to these barriers, bringing together various perspectives and reasons. One of the barriers discussed was the problem of women deciding between a career and motherhood. “We proposed the following solutions”, explains Nina Palčič from Slovenia: (1) Awareness of self-confidence should be raised through education. (2) Governments should help financially by giving money to companies. The biggest problem is that firms don't want to hire women because of maternity leave. If the government paid for maternity leave, companies wouldn't have to choose between men and women, reducing the gender gap.

During these discussions, it became evident that meaningful change is particularly important at a structural and political level. Developments at European level are particularly crucial in this regard. The project, therefore, also explored the origins and evolution of the European Union, tracing the legacy of Jean Monnet. Often regarded as a founding father of the EU, his contributions were instrumental in laying the groundwork for the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), eventually evolving into the European Union we know today. These institutions, together with their individual member states, play a vital role in upholding the rights of European citizens, including those of women. After all, influential women have also played a significant role in shaping the history of European unity.

Martí Grau, head of Service and curator of the Jean Monnet House, provided insights into the lives of influential women in EU history. He highlighted the achievements of Louise Weiss, a dedicated advocate for European and women's rights, who fought strongly for women's suffrage. Constanze Itzel, Director of the European House of History, also emphasised the importance of recognising the role of women in shaping Europe. Through their participation in key historical events, contributions in ideology formation and efforts toward national and European development. Among these important women is Simone Veil, who was the first female president of the European Parliament and successfully campaigned for the legalisation of abortion in France. The efforts of these women have driven progress for gender equality at the EU level, fostering a stronger commitment to reducing inequalities.

A crucial milestone in this journey was the formal recognition of gender mainstreaming in the Maastricht Treaty of 1992. This approach places women and men at the center of political decision-making, including both genders in policy-making and ensuring their equal participation. This leads to better governance, makes gender more visible, and considers the diverse experiences of both women and men.

The significance of the exchange on these topics was further highlighted by Miguel Martín Ramos, also part of the Jean Monnet Association and organiser of the project in France, who outlined the evolution and current state of women's rights in the EU. “Gender equality remains high on the agenda”, he noted, referencing the first female President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the appointment of a dedicated Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli. He also mentioned the EU´s Gender Equality Strategy, “which aims to create a gender-equal Europe where gender-based violence, sexual discrimination and structural inequality between women and men are a thing of the past”.

Nevertheless, the road to equality remains long and slow. No EU member state has achieved equality, and inequalities persist: women are still under-represented in leadership positions, even in the EU's largest companies, where only 8% of CEOs are women. Women also continue to earn, on average, 16% less than their male counterparts and face barriers to entering and remaining in the labour market.

Therefore, one of the key strengths of the programme is, not only offering women the opportunity to exchange ideas, understand the broader EU context and the role of women within but also to look ahead and develop strategies for the future. “In this meeting we have focused on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, specifically on the objectives related to peace, just societies, strategic alliances with gender mainstreaming, (...) as well as on providing solutions to the problems that persist in society, relating to equality,” says Racquel Martí Signes, leader of the Spanish delegation to the project. Elisa Carnevali, from Italy, adds: “Collaboration and co-operation resulting from the meetings are also an important point. The project really creates a network between engaged women or women who are willing to engage for their role in the European Union and in Europe in general”.

Despite the challenges and ongoing work ahead, projects like ‘Her Voice - Her Power’ represent an important step in the right direction. “This project highlights the ongoing need for social campaigns, training, and, most importantly, educational initiatives to raise awareness of women's rights,” says Hanna Wyszyńska from Poland. Nevertheless, she continues, “We see that our partners are facing similar challenges in their own communities. This exchange of ideas allows us to collaborate, share solutions, and identify initiatives that can be implemented in our own neighborhoods or cities. It is incredibly valuable and gives us hope that we, too, can make a real difference in our local communities.”

About Her Voice project :

The consortium of the Her Voice Project is led by the UNED of Denia (Spain) and counts as partners with the University of Arts of Targu Mures (Romania); Gmina Miasta Sopotu (Polonia); Lviv Polytechni National University (Ukraine); the Usamborgia Cultural Association (Italia); Saldus Novada Pasvaldinba (Latvia); Podjetniski Inkubator Kocevje, Javni Zavod Za Podjetnistvoizobrazev Anje In Druge Dejavnosti (Slovenia); the Jean Monnet Association (France); and the Fundación Academia Europea e Iberoamericana de Yuste (Spain).The project consists of eight international events held in the partner countries. It aims to directly involve more than 400 participants and indirectly more than 25,000 people, whose actions will address relevant topics on the promotion of the full enjoyment of women's rights, gender equality, including work-life balance, women's empowerment, gender mainstreaming and its impact on sustainable development. The underlying objectives are to promote the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through collaboration and best - practice exchange while fostering gender equality and social inclusion in line with EU values and the 2030 agenda. The project seeks to promote awareness and knowledge of EU citizenship focusing on social inclusion as well as the gender dimension, to overall strengthen citizen participation and dialogue between the different players in society, with the aim of building a more inclusive and democratic Europe.