At a time of increasing backlash against women’s rights and gender equality globally, literature remains one of the most powerful spaces for resistance, reflection, and social transformation.

This panel will bring together prominent women writers and literary voices from across Europe and Central Asia to discuss why women write — and why women’s voices in literature matter now more than ever. Through personal reflections and broader societal perspectives, the discussion will explore literature as a space where women challenge stereotypes, confront silence, reclaim narratives, and shape public imagination.

The panel will also examine how storytelling influences societal attitudes toward gender roles and equality, particularly in times marked by polarization, shrinking civic spaces, and growing pushback on women’s rights and freedoms. Writers will reflect on the responsibility and power of literature to challenge deeply rooted stereotypes and create space for more diverse, authentic, and empowering representations of women and girls.

By bringing together influential literary voices from across the region, the discussion will position literature and storytelling as essential components of broader efforts to defend and advance gender equality, freedom of expression, and inclusive societies.