Máté Litkei, director of the Climate Policy Institute, spoke at the conference organized on the occasion of the UN's International Day for Rural Women.

The event was organized to mark the UN International Day for Rural Women dedicated to highlight the challenges and opportunities facing women in agriculture.

Participants of the conference also included high level representatives of domestic decision-makers, experts and specialists from international professional organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Comité des organisations professionnelles agricoles-Comité général de la coopération agricole de l'Union européenne / Committee of Professional Agricultural Organisations-General Confederation of Agricultural Cooperatives (COPA-COGECA), the strongest interest group for European farmers.

This year’s international conference was organized by the Union of Hungarian Women Association, and focused on sustainability, digital and food security, and the role of women in environmental protection.

In his speech, Máté Litkei stressed that the results of various environmental sociological studies clearly showed that the role of women in environmental protection was becoming increasingly important. Women in general are more committed to environmental protection than men, but instead of highlighting differences between men and women, Director Litkei pointed out that people with families were significantly more likely to adopt environmentally friendly behaviors than single people.

Máté Litkei drew attention to the role of mothers in "making the family more sustainable" and in passing on pro-environmental behavior. He suggested that the traditional family model and the traditional values that were necessary for starting and running a family were also essential for creating a sustainable society.

On the whole, the role of women in environmental protection is indispensable.