Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya took part in a meeting of Women Political Leaders (WPL), held as part of the Munich Security Conference. WPL is a global network of female politicians with a mission to increase both the number and the influence of women in political leadership positions. The meeting focused on the role of leadership in ensuring global security.
WPL President Silvana Koch‑Mehrin opened the event. Other participants included:
- Theresa May, former UK Prime Minister;
- Judith Collins, New Zealand’s Minister of Defense;
- Þórdís Gylfadóttir, Special Envoy on the Situation of Children of Ukraine of the Council of Europe’s Secretary General.
In her speech, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke about democracy under pressure and how the international community can support democratic movements. She emphasized that the most effective support is the kind that empowers people: taking a principled stance against fraudulent elections, refusing to recognize dictatorships, isolating the regime rather than the people, and providing assistance to independent media, human rights defenders, cultural initiatives, and the families of political prisoners.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “It is important to pressure dictators while simultaneously promoting democratic values. I ask you to simply balance that pressure with support for people. This is so important for those fighting for freedom – to feel that they are not alone, that they have not been abandoned, that they have not been forgotten. Every act of solidarity, every step of support, is like recharging our battery, giving us the strength not to give up”.
