Let's remember: International Women's Day
March 8, 2026, House of Music
Women also shape the story of Bratislava
The story of the city is actually the story of our collective memory. We walk through Bratislava every day and orient ourselves by the names of the streets that have become part of our everyday life. But if we were to look at the streets through the lens of gender balance, we would see a story that is only partially told. Out of almost 622 streets bearing male names in our city, only 21 refer to women. This disparity is not just a statistical figure, but a silent testimony to whose voices we have chosen to listen to in history and whose contributions we have become accustomed to overlooking.
As part of the Contexts series, on the occasion of International Women's Day, we have therefore depicted the invisible trace of women who have shaped the character of our city for generations. However, their contribution goes far beyond the boundaries of street signs. We also paid tribute to women who have never made it into the official nomenclature, although their courage, work and presence have fundamentally shaped life in Bratislava. In the traditionally male narrative of history, it is time to acknowledge a value that has remained in the background for too long, and to grant women their rightful place in the identity of our common space.
On March 8th, at the House of Music, we completed this story with the missing chapters. The program brought thematic walks, discussions, exhibitions, literary circles, lectures and concerts - moments in which we celebrated not only the names from textbooks, but the creative power of every woman who shapes the face of our city.
PROGRAM
FOYER AND LIBRESSO
14:30 – 21:00 Exhibition of students from the Department of Photography and New Media, Academy of Fine Arts, Prague
SEMINAR ROOM
16:00 – 17:00 Date with the City lecture: In the Shadow of Genius: Women in the Life of WA Mozart II.
Zuzana Godárová imaginatively brought back from oblivion to the stages the musicians, singers, and students with whom this musical genius made music.
19:00 – 21:00 DJ Lexa
Lexa is a DJ and dancer. Her energetic DJ set, moving in the space of global dance music, combines polyrhythm and percussive rhythms.
19:00 – 21:00 Exhibition opening of the Department of Photography and New Media, Academy of Fine Arts, Prague – The Space Between Experiencing and Representation
The exhibition presented hand-enlarged large-format black-and-white photographs created using the classic darkroom process at the Department of Photography and New Media at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava. The project moves in the tension between experience and its pictorial trace – between experiencing and depicting.
The opening of the exhibition was introduced by Olja Triaška Stefanović, head of the department and associate professor of the studio of photography and critical practice, together with Ema Gejdoš Lančaričová, assistant professor of the studio of audiovisual overlaps.
CONCERT HALL
15:00 – 15:50 Married Woman, Born Single: Panel Discussion on Gender Equality
Kris Orszagh, a professor of gender studies at CEU in Vienna, and Helena Mede, a human rights student at CEU, discussed the topic of feminism together. The discussion made the topic of feminism accessible to anyone who cares about women's rights but may have felt lost or just didn't know where to start. It showed that feminism is not some distant theoretical position or unknown phenomenon, but a way of everyday life that is happening in our immediate vicinity.
The discussion with the guests was led by Klára Hulíková, a non-binary philosophy student at CEU.
16:00 – 16:50 Let's stand up for women's safety - on International Women's Day and every day
Barbora Burajová from the Coordination and Methodological Center for the Prevention of Violence against Women spoke about the systemic support for women experiencing violence, about the services of the national Hotline for Women Experiencing Violence, and presented the center's activities. Jakub Popík, a lawyer and member of the Human Rights Olympics team, presented the human rights dimension of the topic. The discussion was moderated by Viera Böttcher, a specialist for primary prevention and awareness at the KMC.
17:00 – 17:50 Magda Vášáryová and Alena Heribanová talk to each other about the past and future of the Živena association
The former and current chairpersons of Živena - Magda Vášáryová and Alena Heribanová discussed the Živena association, its traditions, responsibilities, and visions.
18:00 – 18:50 Women Reading, Women Writing
Lucia Molnár Satinská opened the door to the world of Veronika Šikulová and Barbora Hrínová. They met together in an intimate discussion about their work, inspirations, and the female perspective in literature.
19:00 – 20:00 Interview with the concert of pianist Elena Letňanova
Diana Lacová, manager of the House of Music, spoke with pianist Elena Letňanova about her dramatic fate. In the concert part, you could listen to the tones of classical music performed by Elena Letňanova.
