DE
DE
Zajkova
#FemaleFowardInternational
Martin Dimitrov

Meet Monika Zajkova from North Macedonia

“To be a liberal in a conservative society is very difficult, but it's sexy to be different from the others,” says Monika Zajkova with a cheeky grin. The 29-year-old Member of Parliament is the second youngest MP in Skopje’s Vlada (parliament) and one of the two representatives of North Macedonia’s liberal party – the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

Inna Sovsun quote
#FEMALEFORWARDINTERNATIONAL
Zornitsa Stoilova

Speaking up for what matters

A political marathon runner, liberal lawmaker Inna Sovsun embraces challenges to fight gender inequality, climate change, and injustice

Burcu Karakas
#FemaleForwardInternational
Mila Cherneva

Meet Burcu Karakas from Turkey

“I cannot stand it when a human being is humiliated, so that’s the reason I do journalism — to remind people they have rights. It can be a child that is being abused, it can be a migrant who is tortured or it can be a woman who is subject to violence by her partner.” This is how Burcu Karakas, a Turkish journalist at Deutsche Welle, describes her motivation to work in the media. She has been covering a range of topics for over a decade, including female and minority rights, migration, and free speech.

Denitsa Lyubenova
#FemaleForwardInternational
Mila Cherneva

When activism meets law

Denitsa Lyubenova is a human rights lawyer and LGBTI activist who helps people live normal lives and enjoy equal rights in Bulgaria.
She is not a stereotypical lawyer — her mission for many years is to achieve justice and equal human rights for people from different communities. Denitsa helped establish the LGBTI organisation Deystvie (meaning “action”) and now, as its legal expert, helps it change the lives and protect the rights of all groups in society. She has helped children receive citizenship, made marriages legally acknowledged, and facilitated access to medicine for HIV patients.

Denitsa Lyubenova
#FemaleForwardInternational
Mila Cherneva

Meet Denitsa Lyubenova from Bulgaria

Denitsa Lyubenova is a human rights lawyer and LGBTI activist who helps people live normal lives and enjoy equal rights. The lawyers we see in movies are usually strong and confident but not always concerned with protecting innocent people or noble causes — they just do their job. However, Denitsa Lyubenova is not a stereotypical lawyer — her mission for many years is to achieve justice and equal human rights for people from different communities.

Kapitol
LIBERAL
David R. Goldfield Sascha Tamm

“The economic situation will decide the American elections“

Women are increasingly calling the shots in the US midterm elections, argues David R. Goldfield. One reason why the Democrats have reason to hope. The historian ventures an outlook on the upcoming elections in the US.

European Parliament
European Parliament
Damian Boeselager

Towards a European Public Sphere: Interview with Damian Boeselager

The European Parliament wants a single pan-European constituency and implement transnational election lists where political parties and coalitions of national political parties propose their candidates. Damian Boeselager, founder of the first pan-European party Volt, explains why we need such a reform.

despoten
Liberal
Dr. Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann

“Sending a signal to despots“

Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, as Chair of the Defence Committee, has aggressively criticised the hesitation of her own coalition regarding arms deliveries to Ukraine. Here she also demands clear words in the direction of Tehran and Beijing. NATO must send a signal against the despots of this world and show that we will not put up with any attack on our territory.

Dr. Ann-Veruschka Jurisch Frankreich Flagge
France

Taking Stock of the French Council Presidency in Migration Policy

The French Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the first half of 2022 has come to an end. Efforts since 2015 have been constantly thwarted by the reluctant attitude of Hungary and Poland. France seems to have succeeded on at least some dossiers in the Council of the EU. European Affairs Manager Jeanette Süß talks to Member of the German Bundestag Dr Ann-Veruschka Jurisch.

women protest
Female Forward
Rahel Zibner Marina Lili Venturini

Promoting gender equality in Italy – a long way to go

In Italy women have – compared to other Western countries - a particularly low presence in top positions and not even half of all Italian women are in the workforce. We talked about the situation for women in Italy with Marina Lili Venturini, President of the association Nazionale Donne Elettrici (ANDE).

Subscribe to Interview