The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), in partnership with the Government of Iceland, has issued a call for nominations for the first ever edition of the Vigdís Prize for Women's Empowerment. A joint initiative of the Icelandic Government and PACE, the Prize pays tribute to former Icelandic President Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, the first woman in the world to be elected as a Head of State.
The 60,000-euro annual prize rewards outstanding initiatives which promote the empowerment of women in all their diversity, with a broad remit covering achievements in gender equality or equal participation in and access to decision-making, as well as action to encourage inclusive policies and practice. Eligible candidates can be individuals or civil society groups. The prize will be presented during each June part-session of the Parliamentary Assembly.
At a special event during the PACE Standing Committee, organized in Vaduz in the framework of Liechtenstein’s Presidency of the Committee of Ministers, Assembly President Tiny Kox said “we are progressing towards a world where women leaders will no longer be an exception, or even a minority, and for that we can be eternally grateful to women like Vigdís”. She and others, he added, have “shattered the glass ceilings in all parts of society, in all of our member States and partner countries, and have paved the way for the gender equality which must be at the heart of genuine democracy”.
