Lycéens debate gender equality at National Council
By Zak Jackson, MonacoViews Editorial
The National Council opened its chamber to secondary school students for a debate on gender equality ahead of International Day of the Girl.
The hemicycle at the National Council on rue Colonel Bellando de Castro hosted an unusual sitting this weekend, as lycéens from across the Principality took the floor to debate gender equality ahead of International Day of the Girl on 11 October. Students were split into opposing groups to argue for and against positions on three themes, with a jury and public audience delivering verdicts at the end of each round.
One recurring message from the floor was that equality should not be framed as a contest between boys and girls, but as a shared question requiring dialogue rather than division. The format, borrowed from formal parliamentary debate, gave students direct experience of the chamber where Monaco's elected councillors normally sit, and exposed them to the discipline of arguing a position whether or not they personally agreed with it.
For residents, the initiative reflects a broader effort by Monaco's institutions to bring younger generations into contact with civic life beyond the classroom. It also signals how national observances, often marked only in passing elsewhere, are being used here as a direct teaching tool within sight of the Rocher.