Rome, 2026 – The winners of the Women4Future Award – Women for Change have been announced. The award recognizes stories of women who generate social, cultural, and political transformation.
Around 60 authors and collectives responded to the call, submitting personal narratives, shared experiences, paths of empowerment, and civic engagement initiatives. The result is a mosaic of stories which, despite differences in language and context, converge on a common theme: change.
Some works describe the overcoming of social and cultural barriers; others document struggles for equal rights and the fight against gender inequality. All of them reflect a concrete determination to shape the present and contribute to building a more equitable future.
The competition was open to all women, who could submit their own experiences or collect and narrate the story of another protagonist of change. Both individual journeys and collective projects promoted by activists, movements, associations, and social organizations operating at local, European, and global levels were eligible.
Works were submitted in the languages indicated in the call — Italian, English, Spanish, German, Romanian, Bulgarian, and Danish — and in various narrative formats:
- ✍️ Written text
- 📸 Photo narration
- 🎥 Video storytelling
- 🎨 Comics and illustrations
All contributions were published on the StoryAp platform (https://www.storyap.eu/), creating a digital archive of stories that place women’s participation at the center as a driving force for transformation.
The finalist and winning works will be collected in a dedicated volume. The awarded authors will also take part in the project’s final event, scheduled in Rome on March 2–3, 2026, an opportunity for exchange and dialogue among the protagonists of the European journey.
The award is part of the project WOMEN4FUTURE – Women Participation for the Future of Europe (CERV-2023-CITIZENS-CIV 101148156), funded under the European CERV programme and aimed at promoting women’s active participation in democratic life and in shaping the future of Europe.
The European Consortium
The project involves organizations from several countries:
- STORIE DI MONDI POSSIBILI – Rome, Italy
- ARCHIVIA – Rome, Italy
- FONDAZIONE ARCHIVIO DIARISTICO NAZIONALE – Pieve Santo Stefano, Italy
- CENTRO EUROPEO DI INFORMAZIONE – Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria
- LOBBY EUROPEA DELLE DONNE IN SPAGNA – Madrid, Spain
- ORIENTAMENTO CIVICO E INTEGRAZIONE SOCIALE – Bucharest, Romania
- SOZIAL LABEL – Berlin, Germany
- ORGANIZZAZIONE GIRL POWER – North Zealand, Denmark
The Winning Stories
Below are the awarded works, representing the diversity and strength of the competition.
🇮🇹 ITALY
Semi
Semi – Dal silenzio alla voce: storie che spezzano la violenza
A short film commissioned by the Donna Lilith Anti-Violence Center in Aprilia for awareness-raising purposes, particularly in school contexts.
The video intertwines the stories of three women who turned to the center: distinct voices that become one, transforming individual experiences into a collective narrative about the courage to break the cycle of violence.
Stanze di Memoria
“Stanze di Memoria”: quando l’arte racconta la resilienza delle donne
At its core is the theme of violence against women, explored through the bodily dimension. The body becomes the first site of violation, but also the space through which stories are told and transformed. This choice gives the narrative a unique symbolic intensity, avoiding simplification and inviting careful and conscious listening.
My Suitcase Is Still Open
La mia valigia è ancora aperta: diario di un’emigrazione tra paura e rinascita
In these intimate and fragmented pages, the experience of migration intertwines with memories of Iran, motherhood, political activism, and the struggle to start again elsewhere. It is a journey through loss and rebirth, identity and transformation.
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🇪🇸 SPAIN
We Are Moving Forward, But It Is Not the End of the Story
(Fable of a Woman Trade Unionist) – Dolores Liceras Ruíz
WE ARE MOVING FORWARD, BUT IT IS NOT THE END OF THE STORY
An autobiographical account spanning decades of trade union activism. From 1970s Spain to the negotiations that contributed to the 2007 Equality Law, the story shows how women’s presence in decision-making spaces was a hard-won achievement.
The text highlights the difficulties faced in male-dominated power structures, as well as the concrete achievements obtained: parental leave, equality plans within companies, and new public policies. The message is clear: progress is real, but the journey is not over.
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🇧🇬 BULGARIA
The Woman Who Inspires (Essay)
The Woman Who Inspires
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🇫🇷 FRANCE
Women, War and Exile: Across Borders, Together – Lisa Rompillon (Video Story)
Women, War and Exile: Across Borders, Together
In September 2025, during a Women4Future meeting in Paris dedicated to “Women, War and Exile,” Elizabeth, Shiva, and Sima shared the importance of supporting women forced to flee their countries and giving visibility to their experiences.
Linked to the contexts of Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Iran, these testimonies highlight the courage of the protagonists and the strength of solidarity beyond borders.
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🇩🇰 DENMARK
Hasta que el campo sea nuestro – Andrea Ruiz (Photo narration)
Hasta que el campo sea nuestro
A photographic narrative highlighting the barriers faced by girls and women in rural contexts. The project documents the evolution of a collective initiative and its impact on the territory, demonstrating the tangible social transformation generated by the protagonists’ commitment.
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🇷🇴 ROMANIA
Nadia Comăneci – The Girl Who Scored the Perfect 10 and Fought for Her Freedom
by Andreea Petre and Aurora Popescu (Video Story)
Nadia Comăneci – The Girl Who Scored the Perfect 10 and Fought for Her Freedom
The winning video tells the story of Nadia Comăneci, a symbol of sporting excellence and personal freedom. The famous “perfect 10” at the 1976 Olympics becomes the starting point for a reflection on determination and courage within a complex political context. The narrative weaves together athletic success and the search for autonomy, offering an example of female resilience.
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🇩🇪 GERMANY
Farida Khello (Autobiographical text – in German)
Farida, which means ‘unique’
An intense narrative spanning childhood between Aleppo and a Kurdish village, marked by war, loss, displacement, and illness. Farida’s story is one of resilience and rebirth: despite early responsibilities and family tragedies, she claims the right to education, dignity, and a new life in Germany without severing ties to her roots.
Written as part of the Women4Future workshops, the text demonstrates how writing can become a tool for personal reconstruction and collective empowerment — an act of memory that transforms pain into strength and commitment to justice, humanity, and community.