Straujuma makes a stand for women Prime Ministers

Take note – story published 8 years ago

Latvian Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma on Wednesday made a call for women to play a full role in politics, where they are often still under-represented, and to aspire for the highest office.

Speaking at the Opening Event of the European Development Days in Brussels, Latvia's first female PM told delegates:

"Women's and girls' rights are human rights. But they are still violated in many places of the world. The data show that 35% of women worldwide have suffered a physical or sexual assault.

"If nothing changes in current efforts, at least 80 years would be needed to achieve gender equality globally. We cannot wait so long. That is why Latvia as one of the global leaders in the field of gender equality has set the women's and girls' rights and gender equality as an important priority of the presidency.

"Every girl in the world should have the opportunity to become the Prime Minister, if she so wishes."

"Women and girls are an untapped potential for increasing public well-being. There are currently discriminatory laws against women in 140 countries. Therefore, it is necessary to provide them with legitimate and real opportunities to use their potential, because we all are beneficiaries," Straujuma said before demonstrating precisely the role women can play by hopping aboard a Riga-bound jet in order to arrive at Saeima in time to congratulate newly-elected President Raimonds Vejonis and starting to think about his replacement in her cabinet.

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