Is there a Future for Women and Conservatism in Europe?

PRESS RELEASE

Brussels, Belgium, May 19th, 2025

Is there a Future for Women and Conservatism in Europe?

"The right has abandoned the cause of women, so it’s no surprise that today young girls are being indoctrinated by left-wing movements, since they are the only ones addressing current issues.

What is the right’s response to young women who become pregnant early? To single mothers? To women who are victims of domestic violence?"

Alice Cordier 

“Women with conservative views are more likely to start families than political parties. They are therefore absent from areas where a political career demands all your time and energy in order to prevail against male competition. But the truth is also that it is much easier for women to work on saving the world in the left-wing zeitgeist and let themselves be passed up the ladder by women's quotas than to face the tough competition of reality on the conservative side.“

Birgit Kelle 

“Women weren’t created to do everything a man can do. They were created to do everything a man can't do.”

Aleksandra Rybińska 

Wednesday, 21 May 2025 18:30–20:00
Venue to be announced in advance

REGISTER HERE:

https://www.eventbrite.be/e/women-and-conservatism-tickets-1338482189259?aff=oddtdtcreator

Note- registration is required for admission.

As European conservatism evolves in the face of political and social change, a critical question has emerged: how can conservative movements better understand and represent the concerns of women-particularly younger generations?

Join us for an in-depth discussion at “Women and Conservatism”, an event that will examine the tensions, opportunities, and future direction of right-of-centre politics from a female perspective. This is a timely conversation in an era marked by declining support for conservatism among young women, and growing concerns around family, freedom, safety, and identity.

In Poland, Law and Justice’s 2020 abortion crackdown triggered mass protests and arguably contributed to its 2023 electoral loss. Is there an inherent tension between traditionalist abortion views and modern female realities? Hungary's Fidesz has tried pro-natalist incentives to promote motherhood, but given women's struggles in career-building and public life, is the issue deeper than money?

Female leadership does exist—Marine Le Pen in France, Alice Weidel in Germany—but these figures remain exceptions. Which parties or leaders truly understand the trade-offs and complexity of modern female experience? Many conservatives still idealise a past of narrower roles for women and mock the notion of “having it all.” There’s also the persistent image of conservative circles tolerating boorishness, domestic abuse, and sexual misconduct.

The challenge is urgent among youth. Some fret that young right-leaning men are descending into Andrew Tate-style posturing, opening up a voting gap between them and their female peers. Indeed only 19% of European women aged 15–24 identify with conservatism, per a 2022 Eurobarometer. That should be a wake-up call. Meanwhile, the mental health crisis among young women reveals the modern world isn’t working. Conservatives should have answers—yet too often treat women as problems to be managed, not as part of the solution.

This event brings together leading voices from across Europe to explore how conservative parties and movements might bridge the growing divide. Can tradition and modernity be reconciled in a way that speaks to women’s lived realities? And what does meaningful representation look like in practice- not just in rhetoric?

Speakers include:

Aleksandra Rybińska - Journalist, political scientist, and commentator for WSieci (Polish conservative weekly)

Alice Cordier -Co-founder and president of Collectif Némésis, a women’s rights and security advocacy group

Birgit Kelle -German journalist and bestselling author of Gendergaga, chairwoman of women’s NGO Frau Familie Freiheit eV

Barbara Bonte - MEP for Vlaams Belang (Patriots for Europe)

This event is open to all interested in the evolving role of women within conservative thought and policy across Europe.

Registration is required. Venue details will be shared with registered attendees.

https://www.eventbrite.be/e/women-and-conservatism-tickets-1338482189259?aff=oddtdtcreator