Speaker of the Seimas: ‘Solidarity among women political leaders is important in a crisis-ridden world’

Press release, 12 July 2023

Photo by the Office of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania

At the NATO High-Level Women’s Breakfast with the Participation of Allied Female Foreign and Defence Ministers and Other Invited Guests in Litexpo, Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, Speaker of the Seimas, emphasised the importance of solidarity among women leaders, especially politicians, in a current crisis-ridden world. It is important to not only be supportive of each other but also back the women fighting for democracy.

‘This morning I have once again recalled the events in Belarus when the unfair elections in 2020 were followed by the civil society protests for freedom and democracy that were spearheaded by three women. Unfortunately, we all know how that turned out. If the women leaders of the world had been more active back then, perhaps the situation in Belarus would be different and there would be no war in Ukraine today,’ Ms Čmilytė-Nielsen said.

According to the Speaker of the Seimas, the unprecedented war in Ukraine and the crises caused by it once again call for women solidarity. This, however, implies not only helping women to get all the necessary humanitarian, medical, social and other assistance, but also helping Ukraine to repel this invasion, and bringing Ukraine to the European Union and NATO.

‘I call for our discussion today to be not just a theoretical reflection on the lack of women’s participation in foreign policy. Rather, I call for women to take real action and show what true female solidarity is all about,’ the Speaker of the Seimas said.

A High-Level Women’s Breakfast has become a tradition of convening women leaders for a special discussion on a relevant topic that was initiated at the NATO Summit in Madrid last year. This year, the discussion was focused on the empowerment of women in the fields of international security and foreign policy.

Photo by the Office of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania

Ilona Petrovė, Spokesperson for Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, Speaker of the Seimas, tel. +370 5 239 6030, mob. +370 698 42071, e-mail: [email protected]