Nika Kovǎc
Research Institute of 8th March
Founding Director
Nika is the founding director of the Research Institute of 8th March, a movement-building organization that uses storytelling and advocacy to confront gender and economic inequalities across Slovenia. Institute 8 March initiated the Slovenian #metoo campaign (#jaztudi) and have gone beyond raising awareness by articulating positive demands for concrete change. Under her leadership, the Institute’s advocacy successfully initiated the legal redefinition of rape and sexual violence in Slovenia, enforcing a new legal definition in line with the affirmative consent model, “Yes means yes."
Kovač coordinated two winning national referendum campaigns: one against the privatization of water in 2021 and the other against political influence on public media in 2022. She also led the most extensive “Get-Out-the-Vote” campaign in Slovenian history ahead of the 2022 parliamentary election, which contributed to a 71 percent voter turnout. In 2024, she started coordinating the “My Voice, My Choice” campaign across Europe. In 2021, Nika won awards for Slovenian of the Year and the personality of the year. In 2024, she received the Global Leadership Award from Vital Vices for women leaders on the frontlines of change.