The activity’s primary goal is to hold students responsible for co-hosting the event in order to learn about female political participation while doing so. The events engage young adults and university students in discussions about gender equality, focusing on female representation in politics. The event is designed as a hybrid format, allowing both in-person and online participation, which broadens its reach and accessibility. It includes debates and speeches from prominent figures in politics, academia, and media to foster discussions on key gender issues.

Pre-event / Student organisation steps:

• Invite speakers: Students must choose and invite speakers that they find relevant and interesting within both themes of politics and diverse female representation.
• Set the subthemes and questions: In order to learn by doing, students must choose the subtopic that connects the various speakers and prepare the questions. Additionally, two students should play the role of moderating conversations on the day of the event.
• Research: A group of students must prepare the contextualization of the topic at both national and European level. This presentation should be introduced at the beginning of the seminar, before the speakers.
• Publicize and disseminate: A group of students need to be in charge of writing the event sheet, writing and sending the press release, and managing social media.
• Documenting the event: A set of students should be in charge of photographic and video coverage. Additionally, an event summary should be written in order to publish after the event.
• Event aftermath: Collectively, students should reflect on what they accomplished, what they learned, what was done better or worse, what they could improve and how the event may have impacted both faculty and students.

Organisation of the event itself:

• Stakeholder Engagement: Co-organized with university students.
• Event Design: The event includes a hybrid format with physical and virtual components, featuring panel debates and expert guest speakers.
• Participant Selection: Open to university students and the general public, with targeted invitations to political figures and gender equality advocates.
• Execution: Moderated discussions, both in-person and online, with time for audience participation and Q&A sessions.

The event successfully raised awareness of gender inequality in political representation. It fostered a platform for university students to engage in meaningful dialogue and increased their understanding of the importance of gender parity in political spaces.

• Universidade Lusófona faculty and students
• Political representatives and gender equality advocates
• Media figures

• Venue at an university.
• A class of university students.
• Technology for hybrid (in-person and virtual) participation.
• Marketing and outreach efforts to gather participants.
• Guest speakers.

• Managing students’ expectations
• Ensuring robust online engagement in the hybrid format, as virtual participants are less likely to engage in discussions.

• Hybrid events require additional engagement strategies to ensure online participants remain involved throughout the event.
• The academic year is a better time to host university-based events for maximum student engagement.

This model can be replicated across universities, blending academic engagement with broader public discussions on gender equality. The hybrid format can be used in other educational institutions to expand outreach.