“Women who are actively engaged in leadership, business development and job creation serve as a role example for all the people across Ukraine. Transparent business models can make a substantial contribution to the development of an economy that faces huge challenges and difficult reforms. Lithuanian business – with its successful presence in foreign markets – can share experience with Ukraine,” the President said.
During their visit in Lithuania, the Ukrainian delegation met with members of the Lithuanian business community. The trade turnover between the two countries amounted to a total of 840 million litas in 2015.
President Dalia Grybauskaitė who chairs the Council of Women World Leaders expressed her strong hope that Ukrainian business women would not only build bridges of active commercial activity between Lithuania and Ukraine, but would also contribute in a consistent way to their country’s economic recovery.
The President underlined that only ambitious reforms could lead Ukraine towards creating an open and transparent state. Fighting corruption continues to be a major challenge and key national objective. Lithuania actively assists Ukraine in modernizing its economy and upgrading administrative capacities.
During her meeting with the business delegation from Ukraine, the President also focused on the situation of women in zones of armed conflict. Women are affected by war atrocities differently than men: they are much more likely to become victims of human trafficking or sexual violence. In post-conflict periods, it is more difficult for women to recover because they lack economic opportunities. Therefore, the President said, business initiatives and personal examples provided by active and determined women are immensely important for Ukrainian women who have lived through war.
The war in eastern Ukraine has forcibly displaced over 1.7 million people. Two thirds of them are women and children.
