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.
Dalia GrybauskaiteIf there were more women heads of state in the world, the world would be more peaceful and better focused on the improvement of the overall quality of life and welfare.
Dalia GrybauskaiteIf we take into account that women have had the right to vote only for some 100 years - in some countries even less - and that we have already won seats in governments or presidential offices, I understand that men look at this rise with some anxiety.
Dalia GrybauskaiteI am a person of action. If I see I can bring a positive change, I will go for it, never mind that something might be hard to achieve.
Dalia GrybauskaiteWhile I am a lawyer by profession and have travelled to several countries, working and educating myself, I came from a rural background in a Third World country at a time when women were told what their place was and whose mothers enjoyed even less.
Dalia GrybauskaiteThe precondition of success and entry to the top politics is primarily one's will - that is, making one's own decisions, because it means having to leave your home or move your family, quit social networking and build new contacts, [since] central governments are seated in capitals.
Dalia Grybauskaite