On 27 February, Studio Europa Maastricht brought the interactive project ‘Talk EU to Me’ to Bonnefanten during the museum’s popular Free Friday evening. Visitors were invited to take part in a thought-provoking experience that encouraged reflection on gender equality and women’s representation in European politics.
Through an interactive phone booth installation, visitors could pick up the phone and listen to real sexist statements made by members of the European Parliament over the past years. Statements like: “I want to deal with women’s issues because I just don’t think they clean behind the fridge enough”, “”Of course, women must earn less than men, because they are weaker, they are smaller and they are less intelligent. They must earn less, that’s all” and “No self-respecting small businessman with a brain in the right place would ever employ a woman of child-bearing age.”
‘Not angry enough’
Hearing these remarks confronted visitors with the persistence of misogynistic language in political life.
After listening to all the statements, visitors could write a message on the phone booth. Among other things, people wrote “Not angry enough”, “Men, listen to women” and “Sexism is so lame”.
By collecting these responses, Talk EU to Me aims to amplify public voices and stimulate discussion about the structural barriers women still face in and outside of politics. Combining research insights with personal reflections, the project seeks to raise awareness of gender inequality in European political life and encourage a broader conversation about representation and inclusion.
Visitors were also given a brochure with more information about the project. Watch the video below to see more about Talk EU to me and the statements:
Research
The data of this project was provided by Stem op een Vrouw and the TWICEASGOOD research project. It builds on research by Julia van Zijl, a researcher of gender and politics at Maastricht University and the University of Birmingham.
Van Zijl’s work shows that women candidates often face hostility and personal attacks during election campaigns, both online and offline. As she explains: “The attacks are often very personal and invasive, targeting their identity. It’s really about who they are, not what they stand for.”
Stem op een Vrouw’s research highlights that women remain underrepresented in European politics. Although women make up roughly half of the EU population, they currently hold only 38.5% of the seats in the European Parliament following the 2024 elections — the first decline in female representation in 45 years.
You can read our interview we had with Van Zijl here.
