Opening the event on 10 November, EUI President Patrizia Nanz highlighted the challenges women face in reaching leadership positions within systems historically designed by, and for, men, and praised the former Vice-President of the European Commission, explaining to the audience that “Viviane Reding thrived in a system not designed for her success.”
Drawing on decades of experience, Reding's lecture reflected on how personal encounters with discrimination shaped her lifelong commitment to equality and legal reform. She explained that from a young age, she came to the realisation that it is not unusual for discrimination to be inscribed in law, but that "eliminating these discriminations is possible if you find like-minded people."
Reding traced the EU’s legal journey toward gender equality, highlighting the pivotal role of judges in advancing equality when politics lagged behind, and stressed that vigilance remains essential to uphold Europe’s constitutional values. Reding noted that although gender equality was embedded in the European project from its inception, it was initially for economic rather than social reasons. The inclusion of equal pay for equal work was originally aimed to prevent wage competition, for example, but it became a cornerstone for Europe’s commitment to fairness.
The event closed with a Q&A session covering issues such as increasing conservatism among the younger generation, political backlash against progressive policies, and law as a tool for regulation and protection.
The annual Ursula Hirschmann lecture series was established by the EUI in 2001. It is named after Ursula Hirschmann, anti-fascist, feminist, European visionary, and founder of the Brussels group Femmes pour l'Europe, a movement to promote gender equality.
The 2025 Ursula Hirschmann lecture was a collaboration between the EUI's Department of History, the Historical Archives of the European Union, the Robert Schuman Centre, and the University of Luxembourg.
Watch the full recording here.