08/06/2023 Vice-President of the National Assembly Rositsa Kirova received the Peace Prize awarded to Bulgaria at the Women Political Leaders (WPL) Summit 2023

08/06/2023

Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Rositsa Kirova received the Peace Prize awarded to Bulgaria at the WPL Summit 2023. The forum took place on 7 and 8 June in Brussels, hosted by the European Parliament and the Federal Parliament of the Kingdom of Belgium.

The Peace Prize is awarded for the first time in the organization's 10-year history. "This is an assessment of my country's achievements in maintaining peace and solidarity with the victims of military aggression and military conflicts. Not only Bulgarian politicians and diplomats, but also our people are convinced of the power of peaceful conflict resolution," Kirova said at the ceremony.

Speaking to participants in the international forum, the Vice-President of Parliament said that women have long proven their potential to find solutions in difficult situations, to resolve conflicts, to take social responsibility and to implement humane campaigns. These are important arguments in the direction of strengthening the influence of women in policymaking and their participation in government, Rositsa Kirova said.

Bulgaria is among the Top 50 of the Global Gender Gap Index in 2022, noted the Vice-President of the National Assembly. Rositsa Kirova pointed out that the share of women employed in ICT in Bulgaria is still the largest among the EU member states (28.9%), and the percentage of women who occupy managerial positions in business in Bulgaria is also impressive.

The Vice-President of Parliament said that one of Bulgaria's primary commitments as a candidate for membership in the Human Rights Council for the period 2024-2026 is to raise the issue of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. "A big step needs to be taken to break stereotypes about the place and role of women in all spheres of public life. Our membership in two executive councils - UNICEF and UN Women - is a clear confirmation of our position in support of our common efforts to promote the values - freedom and democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law," Rositsa Kirova said.

In the framework of the WPL Summit 2023, the Vice-President of the National Assembly spoke with the Chairman of the Senate of the Kingdom of Belgium, Stephanie D'Ose. Rositsa Kirova noted that education and family education are a strong weapon in the fight against the deficit of equality. Only with the education and unification of women, with institutional support from the European institutions and women's organizations, this can be overcome, she said.