Tóbiás vows to build community-based society with involvement of women

Budapest, June 22 (MTI) – Opposition Socialist leader József Tóbiás told a conference on Wednesday that his party’s task ahead is to build a society based on a network of communities in which women and the internet would play an important role.

Addressing a conference organised by the Friedrich-Ebert and Táncsics Mihály foundations, Tóbiás said change would come in affairs that are remote from everyday politics, with community outreach “cells” dealing with the problems of localities. In this sphere women are dominant, he added.

He said that women should not be regarded as “birthing machines” but as equal partners, given their ability to reconcile opposing positions in political disputes.

The greatest challenge in politics today is to overcome the apathy of citizens. New media can bring about a breakthrough in communications between politicians and citizens. But he also warned that the internet is a tool which can equally be misused by online communities that have a corrosive effect on political culture, Tobias said.

Zita Gurmai, head of the women’s organisation in the Party of European Socialists, said that unequal access to the internet further increases disparities in society. She added that the internet enhances freedom of speech and boosts the political and social involvement of women.

Photo: MTI

Source: mtva.hu