The women in parliaments global forum opens in Brussels

The Women in Parliaments (WIP) Global Forum kicked off in the European Parliament here Wednesday afternoon with the participation of high-profile politicians and activists from around the world to discuss global issues from the perspective of female political leaders. WIP conference participants include Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, president of Liberia; Portia Simpson Miller, prime minister of Jamaica, Tarja Halonen, former president of Finland, European Commission vice presidents Viviane Reding and Neelie Kroes as well as the European Parliament vice-presidents Roberta Angelilli, Anni Podimata and Isabelle Durant. Anni Podimata vice president of the European Parliament in her opening remarks said that ," it is the first that the EP welcomes such a large amount of women, but of course also men who are mostly welcomed at such a very high level of representation." Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, president of Liberia, said "Today , Africa is proud to have a female Prime minister, one female vice head of State and two female Heads of States, one of whom will face elections in two years and the other will leave office within 4 years" Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, said "In our part of the world , we say: if you climb the ladder as a woman, don't push the ladder when you get to the top. Leave for other women to climb." Portia Simpson Miller, prime minister of Jamaica, said " As female leaders , we have a responsibility, not only to talk about the issues affecting women but to influence the change that we would like to see. Let us seek to forge a new path in the arena of leadership that is inclusive of our gender reality." "Perhaps the time has come for women leaders , especially those of us leading developing and post colonial societies to make concerted efforts to recapture the essence of the lives of our courageous foremothers , we must never forget their courage or their work and today we are standing on their shoulders. We must be women and courageous, woman and we need not to apologize that we are women," she added. Participants from more than 100 countries are taking part in the 3-day event, which makes the WIP Annual Summit an unprecedented occasion.