“The doorS for young girls should be open, we should not put artificial barriers on them.” This was stated by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Velislava Petrova in the discussion panel, which was part of the celebration of the 5th anniversary of the “Ambassador for a Day” initiative, organized by the British Embassy in Bulgaria and under the patronage of Vice President Iliana Iotova.
The aim of this project is to promote and develop leadership skills in young women, as a prerequisite for their formation into active citizens and it involves young women from all over the country, women ambassadors to Bulgaria and representatives of non-governmental organizations.
“It is important to ask ourselves what we associate leadership qualities with, traditionally they are qualities that are attributed and recognized as masculine. The leader must be able to lead, to set an example, to make important decisions to deal with situations in which others could not see the solution. In this context, a woman can react with the necessary level of balance and consideration for the circumstances. Women have exactly the same qualities”, said the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.
She supported the idea of expanding the initiative and including male ambassadors. “This is not a competition. Men are an important part of recognizing equality and building a woman as a leader and recognizing the female model of leadership, which, although different, can be very strong”, she added.
Along with Deputy Minister Velislava Petrova, the girls who have won over the years in the “Ambassador for a Day” initiative also took part in the discussion, sharing their impressions of the project and how it has affected their lives.
Deputy Minister Petrova ended her participation with a message to raise awareness of the strength and potential of women and stressed the importance of initiatives to connect young people with mentors.
