Ten years of networking, collaboration, and courage of liberal women

On Tuesday, 23 October 2025, MEP Irena Joveva participated via video address at the 10th anniversary summit of the ‘Alliance of Her’ programme, the leading programme of European liberals for women’s empowerment, which brought together more than 150 participants and supporters in Brussels.

In her introduction, Joveva stressed the importance of initiatives that promote the cooperation and empowerment of women from different backgrounds and experiences, while at the same time uniting them across national borders by common liberal values. According to Joveva, these values ​​are the foundation of efforts for an open, free and equal Europe, built on women’s cooperation and ideas.

She also recalled the period when Slovenia, under the previous government, began to slide towards illiberal practices, following the example of neighboring Hungary, and emphasized how important the support of European liberals, especially liberal women, was at that time in the fight for democratic values:

”During this time, I never felt small or defeated, also because of the awareness that I have the support of you, who share and believe in the same values ​​as me. We can learn from the experiences we share, stand by each other and encourage each other to show what kind of leaders we really are.”

For Joveva, the ‘Alliance of Her’ program not only brings new knowledge and skills, but is also valuable because it connects like-minded women and encourages critical thinking. She also touched on the challenges of modern times, from the growing pressure of digitalization, the negative impacts of social networks to the resurgence of authoritarian movements.

”We live in a time when history is dangerously repeating itself. But programs like this create influential, strong and courageous women who are not afraid of these challenges.”

Finally, Joveva thanked all the organizers, members and supporters of the program and expressed her belief on the occasion of the anniversary that this program will continue to leave a deep mark on the European political space in the next ten years and inspire many new generations of liberal leaders.