Fons Mallorquí | Local elected women from Europe, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East united against common challenges
On 6–7 November 2025, PLATFORMA’s partner Fons Malloquí de Cooperació hosted the second edition of the International Meeting of Elected Women, organised through their Les Elegides project, in Palma de Mallorca. Supported by the Consell de Mallorca and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) through the WYDE Project, the event brought together local elected women from Europe, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. The gathering provided a dynamic space to exchange best practices and discuss shared challenges, underscoring the importance of global solidarity from the outset.
The keynote session set the tone for two days of deep reflection. Nuria Varela, a Spanish journalist and feminist author, explored the cultural and symbolic mechanisms that continue to restrict women’s political authority. “Silence is the patriarchal mandate par excellence,” she stated, pointing to how women remain distanced from power structures even when they manage to enter them. The research perspective brought by Silvia Soriano (University of Extremadura, Spain) and by Laura Albaine (University of CONICET, Argentina) was also essential to discuss political violence against women in Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean. Public policies that transform power structures remain key for both regions.
The diverse roundtables that followed during the two days offered a mosaic of women’s experiences in politics from Peru, Togo, Morocco, Ireland, Bolivia, Ecuador, DRC, Spain, Palestine and Lebanon. Councillors and representatives of local governments discussed the barriers that women in politics face, from political harassment, deeply rooted social norms and stereotypes, to a lack of institutional support.
Decentralised cooperation to strengthen women’s leadership
Concrete examples of decentralised cooperation were presented through the EqualMED III project linking Tetouan (Morocco) and Terrassa (Spain), supported by PLATFORMA’s partner Diputació de Barcelona (DIBA). Rhimou Bakkali, Deputy Mayor of Tetouan City Council and Lluïsa Melgares Aguirre, Councillor for Equality and LGBTIQ+ in Terrassa, described how cooperation between the two cities strengthened women’s leadership through shared experience, capacity-building and mutual recognition.
The final session placed the spotlight on women leading peacebuilding efforts in fragile territories. Hannan Kaoud, Councillor of Ramallah (Palestine), described how, in the absence of national elections since 2005, local governments have become the most legitimate political institutions. Partnerships with DIBA and Fons Mallorquí act as “small bridges” to peace, she noted.
Across the two days, one message became increasingly clear: women’s political continuity is as essential as their access, and achieving it requires structural change, not symbolic progress. Political violence, though often hidden, remains a profound democratic challenge. Decentralised cooperation, meanwhile, continues to offer a powerful means of strengthening women’s leadership across the world.
Les Elegides 2025 offered more than a meeting. It became a collective affirmation that feminist municipalism is a growing movement, rooted in local realities and driven by women who refuse to remain silent. PLATFORMA will continue to work alongside them and with partners worldwide to advance gender equality, support feminist local governance, and ensure that women not only enter politics, but stay, lead and transform it.