The rise of women in Baltic politics
In another step forward for gender equality in Latvian politics, Baiba Braže has just been appointed as the minister of foreign affairs, becoming the second woman to ever hold this position.
She works alongside Prime Minister Evika Siliņa, who was appointed in September last year, completing a first-ever trio of female Baltic prime ministers.
Breaking the gender barrier in countries ranked below the <a href=”https://eige.europa.eu/gender-equality-index/2023/compare-countries/index/map” style=”text-decoration: underline !important;”>EU Gender Index is not easy. However, improvements from small steps in the right direction are becoming more visible. In Latvia, for example, 30% of its parliament consists of women, <a href=”https://stat.gov.lv/en/statistics-themes/indicators-well-being-and-equality/gender-equality/6298-gender-equality-power-and?themeCode=GE” style=”text-decoration: underline !important;”>opposed to around 20% just 10 years ago.
The new Baltic prime ministers have also brought different and more progressive political agendas with them, such as same-sex marriage, gender equality issues, as well as taken some of the strongest stances against Russia in Europe, following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
There is still a long way to go in the Baltics, but more women in powerful positions could further encourage young women to pursue careers in diplomacy and politics.