ELEN Press Releases
ELEN set for EESC Civil Society Week 2026
From Monday March 2nd to Thursday March 5th 2026, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) will bring together the main European civil society organisations from across Europe to discuss, debate and contribute to shaping the future of democracy and building...
UN Special Rapporteur for Minorities slams EU for its lack of protection of European minoritized languages.
Speaking in Brussels today, the UN Special Rapporteur for Minority Issues, Nicolas Levrat, strongly criticised the EU over its double standards regarding minority protection in general and the continuing lack of protection for European minoritized and endangered...
ELEN calls on EU to take action to protect European minoritised languages at the UN Forum for Minority Issues
ELEN has issued a formal statement at the UN Forum for Minority Issues in Geneva calling on the EU to take action to protect European minoritized and endangered languages, something that the EU is required to do under Article 2 of the Lisbon Treaty. The statement,...
Events
On International Women’s Day, the European Language Equality Network celebrates the vital role that women play in the life and transmission of Europe’s minoritised languages.
Across generations, women have often been at the heart of intergenerational language transmission. Many languages continue to live thanks to the everyday efforts of women who pass them on within families and communities — as mothers, grandmothers, teachers, and caregivers. Their often unseen work has helped keep languages alive and sustain the cultural and linguistic diversity that characterises Europe.
At the same time, many women have taken on more visible roles as linguists, researchers, activists, educators, and cultural advocates, working to study, promote, and revitalise minoritised languages, and to defend linguistic rights across Europe.
Today, we celebrate both these dimensions: the countless women who sustain languages in everyday life, and those who actively promote and defend them in the public sphere. On this occasion, we would also like to highlight several women from ELEN whose work and activism contribute to strengthening and promoting Europe’s minoritised languages. ✨
đź’¬ Who would you add to this list?
Share in the comments a woman who inspires you in the defence or promotion of minoritised languages.
#InternationalWomensDay #WomenInLinguistics #MinoritisedLanguages #LinguisticDiversity #ELEN
