7 – 8 April, 2010


“Women in politics are less burdened by routine than men, which allows them to offer innovative and creative solutions, something extremely useful in situations of conflict and times of crisis when old solutions do not work”, National Assembly President Tsetska Tsacheva told the participants in the fifth edition of the International Forum “LeaderSHE 2010”. The international event is held on April 7 – 8, 2010 in Vienna. The motto of this year's edition is: "Creative management of change”.

The President of the Bulgarian Parliament Tsetska Tsacheva is a key speaker on the topic of women’s leadership in politics. In her speech she stressed that women are well aware what it is to have no access to power and to be deprived of such basic rights as the right to vote and to education. According to her, precisely for this reason women - leaders have the potential to better understand those who lack power and rights.

She indicated as another advantage of women the fact that they don’t readily accept the views of the majority and their ability to initiate a debate in the public domain on unpopular topics.

“Today, when Central and Eastern Europe are undergoing the global economic and financial turmoil, these positive sides of the female perspective are needed more than ever in leadership”, was her message to the rest of the participants.

In her speech at the forum Tsetska Tsacheva also pointed out that in the last years Bulgaria has experienced a sustained trend towards a sizable participation of women in political life. For the first time in Bulgaria’s history, the National Assembly and the City Hall of the country’s capital are headed by women and for a second time a Bulgarian woman was appointed Commissioner of the European Union. The latter means of course more responsibility.

One of the main missions of women leaders, according to Bulgaria’s Speaker of Parliament, is to keep their sensitivity to such issues as equality and to emphasize on education as the surest way to social inclusion.

The Forum in the Austrian capital is held under the auspices of former Austrian vice-chancellor Erhard Busek and was opened by Barbara Pramer, President of the National Council of Austria.

The other important topics to be discussed at the meeting would be government policies with respect to economic crisis and recovery, solutions for sustainable development, the role of women in a conflicting world. The engines of change - business strategies, strategies for post-crisis development, women as decision makers and promoters of growth and new global markets.

Gabriele Heinisch-Hosek, Austria’s Federal Minister for Women and Civil Service, Maria Rauch Kalat, Vice-President of the Women's Chapter of the European People's Party, Christine Lagarde, Finance Minister of France are among the participants.