Permanent Representative, Tamila Tasheva, participated in the panel discussion Female Leadership in Global Crises, organized as part of an event with Janet Napolitano, Director of the Center for Security in Politics at the University of California, Berkeley.

Janet Napolitano served as President of the University of California, Berkeley, from 2013 to 2020, held the position of U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security from 2009 to 2013, and was the Governor of Arizona from 2003 to 2009.

The discussion was moderated by Monika Bickauskaite-Aleliune, Director of Public Affairs at the strategic consulting firm Key Elements Group.

The Permanent Representative emphasized that Russia’s war against Ukraine began with the occupation of Crimea in 2014. She also spoke about the situation in occupied Crimea and the crimes committed by the occupiers, including the militarization of the peninsula, the expulsion of independent media from the occupied territories, and the systematic violation of human rights. Tamila Tasheva stressed that the de-occupation of Crimea is crucial for the protection of Ukraine’s Indigenous Peoples and the restoration of justice.

“Since the full-scale invasion in 2022, Russia has used Crimea as a springboard for attacks against mainland Ukraine. For us, it is essential to de-occupy the peninsula if we want to stop the violations of human rights in Crimea and protect the Indigenous Peoples: Crimean Tatars, Karaites, and Krymchaks,” said Tamila Tasheva.

During the discussion, the Permanent Representative highlighted the significance of female resistance in occupied Crimea. She noted that 377 (43%) of rulings under the so-called “discrediting of the Russian army” were issued against women, while 497 (57%) were issued against men.

“Resistance in Crimea has a female face. The occupiers persecute human rights defenders, resistance movement activists, and journalists for their pro-Ukrainian stance and any actions supporting Ukraine. Nearly every second person persecuted in temporarily occupied Crimea for their pro-Ukrainian position, as well as those subjected to pressure and threats from the occupiers, is a woman,” stressed Tamila Tasheva.

Additionally, the re-integration policies for Crimea, being developed by the Mission, were discussed. The Permanent Representative mentioned the Strategy for the Economic Recovery of Crimea, steps within the Strategy for Cognitive De-Occupation, and several other activities. She also emphasized the work of the Crimea Platform as an international platform for coordinating efforts toward Crimea’s de-occupation, highlighting the importance of the Fourth Crimea Platform Summit, which took place in Kyiv on September 11 this year.

The discussion also underlined the significance of supporting the Peace Formula proposed by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The formula clearly outlines steps toward a just and lasting peace, with one of the key elements being the release of all prisoners and deportees, along with the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, including the de-occupation of Crimea.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Permanent Representative expressed her gratitude to the United States for its unwavering support of Ukraine and its comprehensive assistance. Janet Napolitano, in turn, emphasized that supporting Ukraine is of utmost importance to the U.S. because Ukraine is an independent state, and Russia has invaded its territory, aiming to restore its empire.

“I believe that supporting Ukraine is genuinely important for the United States. It is important because Ukraine was a sovereign country that Russia attacked. We cannot trust Putin, because if he succeeds in Ukraine, he will expand his ambitions to recreate the old Russian empire, if I may say so, and will seek to influence all of Europe. I think this is important for the United States because standing against colonization and autocracy is an expression of our values,” said Janet Napolitano.

The participants of the panel discussion concluded that female leadership is crucial for maintaining peace and stability worldwide, and female leaders play a prominent role in making strategic decisions.

To watch the video of the discussion Female Leadership in Global Crises, follow the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BP9BaXh4Wsk