Roundtable Highlights Women’s Role in Addressing Political Polarization
- The Ramos Research Institute
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WARSAW, POLAND – March 24, 2026 — On March 19, 2026, the Permanent Secretariat of the Community of Democracies (PSCD), the Youth Democracy Network (YDN), and the Ramos Research Institute (RRI) hosted a roundtable discussion to explore the role of female leadership in addressing global polarization and strengthening democratic resilience.
This event, held in recognition of International Women’s Month, marked the launch of the policy brief “Addressing Polarization in Europe and Africa: Centering Women in the Solution,” authored by Josephine Hall, RRI’s Chief of Staff and current YDN Fellow in Residence. The full brief can be accessed by CLICKING HERE.
Political polarization remains one of the most pressing challenges facing democratic societies worldwide. This discussion aimed to bring together leaders, researchers, and citizens to explore strategies to mitigate polarization and promote cooperation between governments, communities, and research institutions.
“I appreciated the opportunity to share my research and receive feedback from experts," said Hall. “The insight offered during the discussion was interesting and valuable to me moving forward with this research.”
Hall's research draws on comparative examples from Europe and Africa and argues that women can play a particularly important role in combating polarization driven by disinformation, declining societal trust, and economic inequality – factors that reinforce the divisions that weaken democracy. During the presentation, she outlined her findings and highlighted ways to foster social cohesion and resilience through inclusive historical education, expanded opportunities for women’s leadership, and efforts to address persistent gender-based economic inequalities.
Alejandro J. Ramos, Executive Director of the Ramos Research Institute, emphasized the importance of institutional collaboration in supporting emerging research and dialogue on democratic resilience.
“Our partnership with YDN and the PSCD through this residency program has been incredibly impactful and demonstrates what is possible when strong institutions invest in youth-led research,” said Ramos. “Josephine’s work reflects both the strength of this collaboration and the power of research to shape meaningful conversations on democracy. I encourage others to engage with this first deliverable as we continue to build on this momentum—there is much more to come.”
Daryna Onyshko, Manager of the Youth Democracy Network, highlighted the broader themes that emerged from the discussion.
“What the discussion showed is that polarization is not caused by just one trend, it comes from a mix of factors like disinformation, declining trust, and inequality, all reinforcing each other,” said Onyshko. “At the same time, there are real examples of how to address it, especially through grassroots and women-led initiatives that help rebuild trust. The challenge now is to move from speaking about the problem to creating more opportunities for people to connect, engage, and learn how to disagree constructively.”
The event began with remarks from the Secretary General of the Community of Democracies Dr. Mantas Adomenas. An open discussion with attendees was moderated by Executive Director Alejandro J. Ramos and concluded with words from YDN Manager Daryna Onyshko. Participants deemed it an overall success and are looking forward to what comes next from partnerships similar to the one that made this discussion possible.
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About the Ramos Research Institute:
The Ramos Research Institute (RRI) is an emerging research institution dedicated to original research, polling, and policy analysis focused on addressing today’s most complex societal challenges. Founded by Alejandro J. Ramos, RRI produces rigorous, relevant, and accessible research across key areas including civic education and engagement, media literacy, democratic resilience and renewal, education policy, and the voting behavior of minority communities. Through evidence-based inquiry and public-facing scholarship, RRI seeks to generate insights that strengthen democratic culture and inform policy and practice.
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Ramos Research Institute
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