Korčula School 2021: Building partnerships for Just Transition & Gender Equality

September 1, 2021

“To counter the climate and environmental emergency, structural changes to our economies and to the ways we live, produce, consume, travel and work are necessary and urgent. Such restructuring should address the current social inequalities and economic disbalances for a more just, socially responsible and sustainable world of the twenty-first century. What we have been doing is far from enough, we must act now!”

This was one of the messages of SOLIDAR’s Secretary General Mikael Leyi at the 2021 Korčula School Think Tank, which took place in Korčula, Croatia, on 27-29 August 2021 and was organised by the CEE Gender Network in cooperation with FEPS, PES Women and SOLIDAR. The Korčula School is an annual event that brings together political leaders from centre left and social democratic parties from South Eastern-Europe, experts, political activists and feminists to discuss gender equality issues.

The first day of this year’s edition of the School, which was titled “Recover, Restart, Retool – Rethinking Gender Equality”, focused on creating strategies for Just Transition partnerships. Mikael Leyi was joined by extinguished speakers such as Kata Tüttő, Deputy Mayor of Budapest, Raymond van Ermen, Executive Director of European Partners for the Environment, and Zefi Dimadama, Lecturer at Panteion University and Vice President of PES Women, for a discussion on the vision of the Progressives for a transition that is just for all women. At the event, SOLIDAR also showcased a training module on “Just Transition and Gender Equality” developed in cooperation with the Olof Palme Center.

SOLIDAR thanks the CEE Gender Network very much for the invitation to the Korčula School and for the opportunity to present our work to participants and other speakers. We look forward to next year’s School and to continuing working with all partners on ensuring a Just Transition.