The event aimed to stimulate discussion on what the rights of women are in the country, as well as in Europe, but also how these guaranteed rights on paper are applied in society, politics, and everyday life.

In his introductory speech, Daniel Braun, the Official representative of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, emphasized: “It is important for women, as for all other citizens, to be represented in managerial positions both in politics and in all social spheres, not only because of equal representation but also because of the different perspectives and views which men and women hold in those leading positions. There are many more women in high positions in Germany, and we take Chancellor Merkel as an example, but that is not representative of the whole society, a lot needs to be done on this topic. The situation in Europe and the Balkans is similar”, he noted.

"There must be an equal representation, so far we see that the representation of women in politics is lower because they do not dare to enter, which is important in order to have a healthy democratic society. Political parties should encourage women to hold such high positions, and particularly young people would be interested in such a thing", added Eleftheria Katsi of the Wilfred Martens Center for European Studies in her welcoming remarks.

The Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, H.E. Anke Holstein, pointed out that in Germany things are similar to here, even though they had Chancellor Merkel for 14 years, who moved things forward to a great degree when it comes to women's rights and their equality in politics. As the ambassador pointed out, in her work she often encountered the opinion that she would not be able to perform her function just because she is a woman, which motivated her to work even harder and prove the opposite.

"In many countries so far, there has been no clear increase in women in political positions. Why is that so? There is a law on paper at the European level, but the law and the reality are not identical. Women must be encouraged because there has been a different tradition for centuries, there are women in politics, but they have to fight hard to get there”. "In the 21st century, laws and reality must be equated," said Marion Walsmann, Member of the European Parliament. She also stressed that there should be cooperation outside the political parties for society to prosper.

The President of the Parliamentary Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men, Gordana Siljanovska Davkova stressed the importance of women supporting themselves and their solidarity for their own success and the success of the society, as well as the advancement of women's rights. "We have the right to our own political space and we should attack the highest positions, not only male but also female solidarity is important. It is infantile to say that a man is a good politician, and we women have to prove ourselves. The problem is not only ours but also European. In my opinion, the key struggle is in politics. Very often the institutions are suspended by powerful individuals," said Siljanovska Davkova.

The Mayor of the City of Skopje, Danela Arsovska emphasized that women can lead and contribute to greater growth and development of society. According to her, unfortunately, in the country, less than 1% of leadership corporate positions are held by women, although women can resolutely lead and create inclusive societies, as well as create different opportunities for democratic decision-making. She also stressed that women do have rights here, but not opportunities.

"There are 43 women MPs in the country, so we can be proud that we are a leading country in Europe in terms of representation of women, but we cannot say the same for women mayors, with only 2 women mayors. Analyses say that if there are more women, the perception will change, which can bring greater benefits to society and greater democratic and social freedom. We have to be partners with men, not opponents," said MP Zaklina Peshevska.

MP Monika Zajkova, in her speech, stressed that attacks on women always have a sexual connotation. If a man is attacked, his work is commented on, but if a woman is attacked, her personality is attacked. The political parties should set an example by including more women in the executive bodies of the parties, not just in Women's Forums. According to her, education for gender equality must start from the earliest age.

As a researcher at the Institute for Democracy "Societas Civilis" - Skopje, Vlora Rechica, stressed that the rules of the game should be changed because men have set them, and they apply only to them, while women find it harder to follow. "Without changing these rules of the game, we will not have progress in society," Rechica said in his speech.

The panel discussion was moderated by Marija Risteska, Executive Director of the Center for Research and Policy Making in Skopje.

The conclusion that emerged from the panel discussion was that the need for quotas, not only in the political world and in the elections but in every part of society, is inevitable, and diligent work should be done to combat gender-based violence and promote women's solidarity. The main emphasis should be placed on the political parties that are key factors, where the rules of the game should be changed, i.e., there should be gender sensitization, and in that way, greater involvement of women in politics would be achieved, which would attain greater benefits in the whole society.