(from left) Sinam Mohamad, Chief of Mission of SDC-US and Dace Melbārde, Parliamentary Secretary at the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
“We need to empower women to actively participate in politics, otherwise we risk perpetuating old cycles of poverty and discrimination. It starts with breaking stereotypes in family and society, and changing political and social expectations”, commented Secretary General Luis Almagro.
Sinam Mohamad of the SDC posed a question to the discussants on the different challenges between wealthy and stable nations across the globe in tackling these issues, compared to those nations that struggle with extreme poverty, conflict and economic precarity like Syria. “We must also think about how to support the women around the world, such as in northeast Syria, who have made so much progress, but struggle to take bigger leaps in certain sectors with so little access to technology and resources.”
Following the panel, the SDC joined a celebration of Latvia Day, a reminder of the rich history and continued progress of women across Eastern Europe, who are taking strides across the region to challenge traditional norms around male leadership.