The President of Lithuania is one of 19 women heads of states of governments nominated for the award, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, President Tarja Halonen of Finland, President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner of Argentina, also leaders of Brazil, Switzerland, Kyrgyzstan, Costa Rica and other states. The award was presented to the President of Lithuania, along with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, Prime Minister Iveta Radičová of Slovakia, and Prime Minister Kamla Persad–Bissessar of Trinidad and Tobago.
"In the past two decades, the number of women world leaders grew from eight to nineteen. Women on the highest–level of politics is not just a matter of fashion anymore but a reality of the daily life. More and more women run for election in their own countries and win because they are not afraid to take challenges and assume responsibility and because they see politics as an instrument to make their countries a better place to live," the President of Lithuania said.
President Dalia Grybauskaitė and other awardees received personal congratulations from U.S. President Barrack Obama. The awards were presented by the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Susan Rice.
Source: http://www.baltic-course.com/
