Who’s dominating EU debates?
There are many excuses for a lack of diverse speakers. But speaking events are not a passive reflection of status quo — they are an arena for change.
We started @EUPanelWatch because of a growing frustration with the persistent lack of diverse speakers at events in Brussels, the heart of the European Union. All-male panels especially, but also diversity of age, colour, ability and more.
Our argument is simple: We need better, more diverse debates, debates that reflect society, empower and inspire the next generation of leaders. Only then can we achieve an inclusive, sustainable and prosperous Europe
In June 2016, we covered 299 debates with over 1,500 speakers. We saw notable progress on last year, especially with the proportion of women speaking increasing from 24 to 34% overall. However, there is still a way to go and a pressing need to speed up progress.
Here is what we found:
