Words shape how we see the world. They can challenge stereotypes and inspire social change. For centuries, books have been both refuge and liberation, especially for women whose voices were too often silenced or erased. To honor this legacy while looking toward the future, UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (ECARO), together with the International Publishers Association (IPA), took part for the first time the world’s largest book fair – the Frankfurt Book Fair in October 2025.

“We are bringing together the voices of brilliant women publishers and writers from our region to explore how literature and the stories we tell can help transform social norms and challenge the deeply rooted ideas about gender that shape our societies,” said Elisa Fernandez Saenz, Deputy Regional Director for UN Women ECARO. “Our theme, ‘For All Women and Girls: Word, Freedom, Books of Their Own,’ was inspired by Virginia Woolf’s iconic text,” she stated. 

Italian author Francesca Cavallo reflected on the deep influence of childhood stories, noting that “we often forget how impactful the stories we read as children are. We remember only a few, but what we come to expect from the world – and what we think the world expects from us – comes in large part from those stories. Children’s literature is the most political form of literature there is, because what children believe about their place in the world becomes our collective future,” Cavallo concluded. 

During the fair, UN Women ECARO and the International Publishers Association (IPA) also signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will pave the way for a new partnership to harness the potential of the publishing industry in advancing gender equality and women’s rights.

“As only the fourth woman president in the Association’s 130-year history, I am proud that this memorandum seeks to promote the Women’s Empowerment Principles among our members, so that in the future, we will see many more women in senior positions within the publishing industry,” mentioned IPA President, Gvantsa Jobava.

In this regard, UN Women ECARO also hosted a panel discussion “Women in Publishing: Glass Ceilings and Paper Walls,” on the Center Stage of the Frankfurt Book Fair to address the barriers women continue to face in the publishing world.

“At UN Women, we believe that storytelling is one of the most powerful tools we have to advance gender equality,” said Elisa Fernandez Saenz. “Every story that centers a woman’s experience, every book that gives voice to a girl’s dream, every narrative that breaks silence brings us one step closer to the world we want to see: a world that is just, equal, and free from stereotypes and limitations.”

At the Frankfurt Book Fair, UN Women ECARO participated alongside the acclaimed writers Ekaterine Togonidze from Georgia, Ionela Hadârcă from Moldova, and Francesca Cavallo from Italy, who took part in the panel “Awake Not Sleeping: Rewriting the Narrative,” moderated by Karine Pansa; and by the renowned publishers Nazlı Berivan Ak from Türkiye, Marta Candida Martinez Gutierrez from Spain, and Barbara Budrich from Germany, who joined the “Women in Publishing: Glass Ceilings and Paper Walls” panel, moderated by Martin Rachel.