The Women’s Worlds Congress is an international and interdisciplinary event that gathers women* from diverse fields of academia and social activism.
The Basque Country has taken over as host of the XV edition, which will be held in May 2026. On this occasion its central subject will be “Women* and Peaces,” in the plural, a recognition of the multiple ways in which women* contribute to a culture of peace.
Unique to this edition is that women’s*, feminist, and pacifist organizations from the Basque Country, Colombia, and Mozambique have been collectively organizing this gathering for two years, guided by Gernika Gogoratuz and Gernikatik Mundura. This congress is the result of a collective process called “ Seedbed of Internationalist Women for Peace,” in which women*, collectives, and grassroots organizations have rooted to strengthen alliances and sow ideas around peaces, with insubordination and from everyday life. Each local process has contributed to weaving a common fabric that today shapes this new global congress.
On May 20, we will visit the Casa de Juntas in Gernika-Lumo, a symbol of Basque freedoms and democracy, in the town designated as a City of Peace and a Site of Democratic Memory. The opening of the 2026 International Women’s Worlds Congress (MM26) will take place on May 21 at the Bizkaia Aretoa-EHU in Bilbao, continuing the spirit of gathering and reflection on peace with activities scheduled through May 24. On Saturday, May 23, there will be a festive program in the urban space featuring open activities such as street parades, tours of memory and peace, and cultural performances in the streets. The closing ceremony will take place on Sunday, May 24, coinciding with International Day of Women for Peace and Disarmament.
The XV Women’s Worlds Congress is an invitation to weave feminist networks and strategies to engage in change, build bridges, and imagine a new future. It will be a collective space to envision a more livable world based on justice and peace.
“No wars to kill us, no peace(s) to oppress us.”