There are many examples of female leaders who are not afraid to take responsibility and openly face the challenges in the worst situations.

I ran for president because I wanted to help Lithuania and its people during a difficult time. My country was on the very edge of an economic crisis, and people were disappointed by the economic situation and the political elite. We all needed change and motivation to consolidate our efforts in order to overcome the difficulties.

Lithuania is a small country, so our contribution would not be that large. We are not afraid of our responsibility. We receive 25 percent of our national budget from the European Union. We understand the value of solidarity.

People trust those leaders who show real results of their work, rather than those who just talk about the results.

Women always look for a peaceful solution to a conflict. They are more sensible when they go for compromise or when they stand by their position. They are ready to listen to different views, to hear all the voices in society.

In professions where the criteria of professionalism, expertise, good manners and ethics apply, the gender aspect, i.e., whether a person is a man or woman, is not relevant at all. What is important is that citizens' confidence in politicians and the politics is strong enough to make politicians proud of their profession.

The examples of female success stories are important on the global scale, as they help to disseminate the idea of gender equality and to spread the roots for the actual implementation of equal rights for women and men and democratic values among different cultures, societies and traditions.