15/10/2026 European Conference of Presidents of Parliament
Women Speakers and Presidents of Parliament met this morning for a working breakfast during the European Conference of Presidents of Parliament in Rome to share their national experiences as women leaders and to reflect on the theme “From backlash to breakthrough: women acting united for their rights”.
Some 15 woman Speakers and Vice-Speakers gathered for the event at the Italian Senate, sharing their experiences of leading national legislatures across Europe, and working towards equality in many ways.
“We all come from different countries, different political traditions and different parliamentary systems,” said PACE President Petra Bayr, welcoming the participants. “But we share something important: we know what it means to be a woman in public life, and we have a responsibility to make sure that the women and girls who come after us have more opportunities, more freedom and more security than we had.”
The President invited women Speakers to set out their ideas or concrete future steps for creating a fairer, more equal, inclusive and resilient society – and to share them on a “digital wall” of women parliamentary leaders. The “digital wall” will be published on the Assembly’s website in due course. “My hope is that these contributions will become a collective statement of determination from women parliamentary leaders across Europe and beyond,” said President Bayr.
The Vice-President of the Italian Senate Mariolina Castellone, hosting the event, said: “It was an honour to welcome women Presidents of Parliament here today at the Italian Senate. To reinforce our collective action is to share our experiences, our successes and our common struggles. The introduction of the crime of femicide in the Italian legal system is an important step that I would like to underline and share with all my colleagues. Parliamentary activity can provide all of us, across the whole of society, with efficient tools to protect women, but there is still much to do.”
During the discussions, women Speakers reflected on the importance of acting as role models to inspire younger generations and enable young girls to identify with women in positions of power. They also discussed the dangers posed by social media, particularly with regard to damaging the reputations of women politicians and silencing and intimidating them. They also explored ways to prevent harassment and foster a culture of respect, emphasising the importance of men being part of this effort.
The two-day conference – held every two years – brings together Speakers and Presidents of Parliament from the 46 member states of the Council of Europe and beyond, as well as the heads of a number of inter-parliamentary assemblies.
