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Les Elegides 2025 - 6 and 7 November

II International Meeting of Elected Women

Beyond access, challenges for women's permanence in local politics.

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Les Elegides 2025 is a living space for learning, exchange, and collective building.

Over two days, elected women and researchers from different territories of the Global North and South will share experiences, reflections, and tools to promote a gender-parity agenda from the local level.

The event will be structured around two main axes:

  • Axis 1. Participation in decision-making.

  • Axis 2. Alliances for good governance: the role of women in innovating inclusive public services.

Objectives of Les Elegides 2025

  • Strengthen the political leadership of elected women.

  • Make visible and reflect on the resistance they face in remaining in power.

  • Highlight their innovative role in transforming local public services.

  • Consolidate Les Elegides as a living space for exchange, collective building, and capacity strengthening.

Date: 06-11-2025

Direcció: Saló d'acte - Cambra de comerç - Carrer de l'Estudi General, 7 07001 Palma

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Methodology

FROM LEARNING TO ACTION

The methodology of the Les Elegides 2025 event combines expert knowledge with practical learning and spaces for collective reflection.


The goal is for each participant not only to receive information but also to become an active protagonist in a transformative experience, capable of generating real change in their political and community environment.

  • 6 November

    Time Activity
    18:00 Welcome and opening of the sessions
    18:15

    Opening lecture. The power of women with power?


    Nuria Varela, expert in public gender-equality policies.

    19:00

    Round table.

    • Antonia Roca Bellifante, Vice President of the Consell de Mallorca and Councillor for Heritage.
    • Mary Hanna Hourigan, Councillor of Tipperary County and President of the Association of Irish Local Governments. 
    • Modesta Yauri, Mayor of Vilcabamba and President of the Association of Women Mayors of Peru. 
    • Déde Akpedje Messan, deputy municipal councillor and signatory of the Golf 6 City Council, and member of the Network of Young Elected Officials of Africa (YELO).

  • 7 November

    Time Activity
    09:00   Registration and welcome
    09:45  Welcome remarks. Introduction to the day.
    10:00 

    Conference. Women in local politics: between leadership and resistance.


    Chair: Leonor Bosch Pérez, Mayor of Banyalbufar. Mallorca

    • Silvia Soriano: researcher in Constitutional Law. University of Extremadura.
    • Dr Laura Albaine: researcher and gender policy expert at CONICET/University of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
    11:00 

    Debate. Parity by 2030: Utopia or reality?


    Chair:  Beatriu Gamundí Molina, Elected Councillor of the Socialist Group in the Council of Majorca.

    • Modesta Yauri, Mayor of Vilcabamba and president of the Association of Mayors of Peru. 
    • Maria Hanna Hourigan, Councillor for County Tipperary and Chair of the Association of Irish Local Government Association. 
    • Nadia Chadi, Deputy Mayor of the City of Tetouan and Councillor in the Regional Council of Tangier-Tetouan-Lazig, Morocco. 
    • Ndiaya Mbow, first Deputy Mayor of Kaolack, responsible for women’s empowerment and the social and solidarity economy.
    11:45  Coffee break and networking
    12:15

    Transforming local management with a gender perspective: leadership and innovation of elected women.


    Chair: Carme Gomila Domínguez, Deputy Mayor of Manacor, Mallorca.

    • Creation of the Women's Caucuses: Niam Kennedy, Councillor at Donegal County Council, Ireland.   
    • Budgets with a gender focus: Sara Amelia Rueda, Mayor of the Municipality of El Pont and president of Acobol. Bolivia.  
    • Equality agendas: Litzeth Hinojosa Rojas, Mayor of the Decentralized Autonomous Government of the canton of La Joya de los Sachas, Ecuador.  
    • Women's councils in Tetouan, decentralized international cooperation as a tool for strengthening: Rhimou Bakkali, Deputy Mayor of Tetouan City Council, Morocco - Lluïsa Melgares Aguirre, Councillor for Gender Policies, LGTBIQ+, Citizenship and Migration, Social Housing Policies and Public Housing Promotion of the Terrassa City Council, Catalonia. 
    • Sustainable management of community plastic waste: Zulma Inès Mamani Carmona, councillor of the municipality of Camargo, Bolivia. 
    14:00  Lunch
    16:00 

    Elected women: transformation and peace in the territories.


    Chair: Mària Antònia Serralta Cunill, Mayor of Bunyola. Mallorca.

    • Safe spaces for vulnerable populations: Hannan Kaoud, Councillor of Ramallah, West Bank (Palestine). 
    • Local Development: Carole Chebli Bou Vhakra, Councillor and Vice President of the Municipal Council in charge of Local Development and Community Health of the Municipality of Mazraat El Chouf, Lebanon. 
    • Cross-border municipal cooperation: Alison Bennington, Councillor for Antrim and Newtownabbey Council and Chair of the Northern Ireland Association of Municipalities.  
    • Management of territories in conflict and gender: Léonie Kaswera Mulyangote, Provincial Deputy of North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo.  
    • Access to education in fragile territories: Randa Halawa , Councillor of Ein Areek, West Bank (Palestine)  
    17:00 Elected Women build networks for women in office and the municipalities of the future.
    18:30

    Conclusions 
    19:00

    Closing
    Llorenç Galmés Verger, President of the Council of Mallorca.

    Antonia Maria Estarellas, second vice president and councillor for the Presidency, Coordination of Government Action and Local Cooperation. Vice president of the Fons Mallorquí de Cooperació.

    Xelo Angulo Luna, member of the Board of the Confederation of Cooperation and Solidarity Funds (CONFOCOS).

  • Participants

  • Nuria Varela

    Expert in public gender-equality policies

    Madrid

  • Antònia Roca Bellinfante

    First Vice President of the Council of Mallorca

    Mallorca

  • Dédé Akpedje Messan

    Signatory Deputy Mayor of the Golf 6 City Council and member of the Network of Young Elected Officials of Africa (YELO)

    Togo

  • Mary Hanna Hourigan

    President of the Association of Irish Local Governments (AILG) and Councillor of Tipperary County Council

    Ireland

  • Modesta Yauri

    Mayoress of Vilcabamba and President of the Network of Mayoress of Peru

    Peru

  • Leonor Bosch Pérez

    Mayor of Banyalbufar

    Mallorca

  • Laura Albaine

    CONICET reseacher

    Argentina    

  • Silvia Soriano

    Researcher in Constitutional Law

    University of Extremadura

  • Beatriu Gamundí Molina

    Elected Councillor of the Socialist Group in the Council of Majorca.

    Mallorca

  • Nadia Chadi

    Deputy Mayor of the City of Tetouan and Councillor in the Regional Council of Tangier-Tetouan-Lazig

    Morocco

  • Ndiaya Mbow

    First Deputy Mayor of Kaolack, in charge of women's promotion and the social economy

    Senegal

  • Carme Gomila Domínguez

    Deputy Mayor of Manacor

    Mallorca

  • Niamh Kennedy

    Donegal County Councillor

    Ireland    

  • Sara Armella Rueda

    President of the Association of Councilors and Mayors of Bolivia (ACOBOL)

    Bolivia

  • Litzeth Hinojosa Rojas

    Mayor of the Decentralized Autonomous Government of the canton of La Joya de los Sachas

    Ecuador

  • Zulma Mamani Carmona

    Councilor of the municipality of Camargo and Secretary of Economy – Association of Women Councilors and Mayors of Bolivia (ACOBOL)

    Bolivia

  • Rhimou Bakkali

    Deputy Mayor of Tetouan City Council

    Morocco 

  • Lluïsa Melgares Aguirre

    Councillor for Gender Policies, LGTBIQ+, Citizenship and Migration, Social Housing Policies and Public Housing Promotion of the Terrassa City Council

    Catalonia

  • Mària Antònia Serralta Cunill

    Mayor of Bunyola.

    Mallorca

  • Hanan Kaoud

    Council of the municipality of Ramallah

    West Bank (Palestine)

  • Carole Chebli Bou Chakra

    Councilor and Vice President of the municipal council of Mazraat Al-Chouf

    Lebanon

  • Alison Bennington

    Councillor for Antrim and Newtownabbey

    Northern Ireland

  • Léonie Kaswera Mulyangota

    Member of the Northern KIVU Provincial Assembly

    Democratic Republic of Congo

  • Randa Halawa

    Councillor of Ein Areek

     West Bank (Palestine)  

  • Aurora Elena Torres

    First councilor of the municipality of La Arena, deputy mayor

    Peru

  • Ana Palomino Paquiyauri

    Councilor of the municipality of Chiara

    Peru

  • Maribel Mita

    Communication Secretary of Association of Councilors and Mayoress of Bolivia (ACOBOL)

    Bolivia

  • Khady Niang Sylla

    Deputy Mayor of the City of Dakar in charge of Cooperation

    Senegal

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