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There are no easy answers to the unprecedented challenges we are facing during the current COVID‑19 pandemic. At this time, women around the world need to be thanked for their relentless care for their families and loved ones, said Ināra Mūrniece, Speaker of the Saeima, on Monday, 6 September, in her address at the 13th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament held in Vienna and dedicated to women's efforts in the fight against the COVID‑19 pandemic.
Empowerment of women, their inclusive engagement, and gender equality form an essential foundation for our societies. At the same time, remote work and online education have put the resilience of families to the test and, over the past months, many women have experienced a sense of guilt for not always being able to do both: be loving mothers and highly valued professionals, said Mūrniece.
"But we should not feel that way," noted the Speaker of the Saeima. "During the pandemic, women – doctors, nurses, and social workers – are constantly on the frontline of the battle against the COVID‑19 pandemic, risking their lives to save lives," stressed Mūrniece, also thanking teachers for their ability to adapt rapidly to the digital environment. Particularly during the pandemic, it is important for countries and organisations to ensure they create a culture of inclusivity, acceptance, and equity, intervening to address all kinds of bias.
The pandemic has highlighted the need for better social protection, said the Speaker of the Saeima. "Women’s care work at home, care for their children is indispensable for our society as a whole," said Mūrniece, urging to think about solutions in the field. Latvia currently faces a risk of depopulation, and providing assistance to families with children is now a focus for our country. We made the decision to increase the State family benefits as of next year and also to provide families with a one-off financial benefit during the COVID‑19 pandemic, explained Mūrniece.
The Speaker of the Saeima is on a visit to Vienna, Austria, where she is attending the Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, the 13th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament, as well as the First Global Parliamentary Summit on Counter-Terrorism.
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Saeima Press Service