On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, recipient of the 2025 “Women for Peace and Security” Award from the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, delivered a message to women and girls around the world.
In her address, President Osmani highlighted the vital role of women’s leadership in building more peaceful, stronger, and more just societies.
“Dear friends, today I speak to all women who aspire to become the next generation of peacebuilders and peacekeepers — the architects and defenders of a more peaceful, secure, and just world. On this International Women’s Day, I speak not only as the President of a country, but also as a woman, a mother, and a daughter who has learned that with determination and courage every prejudice and imposed barrier can be overcome, and that the promise of the future belongs to women just as much as it does to men. The history of my country, the Republic of Kosovo, is living proof of this truth.
Our path toward freedom and statehood was not written by men alone. It was shaped by women and men who stood side by side; by women who led the peaceful resistance when our voices were silenced, by women who endured and resisted during the darkest hours of war; and by women who, when the sound of weapons was replaced by silence, became the moral force behind justice and the rebuilding of institutions with vision and tireless dedication. Their strength is the moral compass of our country.
Their legacy continues to guide our democratic path. From this history we have learned a lasting lesson: a peace process that excludes women cannot truly succeed. A security system designed without women’s voices cannot endure. A democratic order that leaves women behind remains incomplete. Women are not observers of progress — they are its leaders, from public and political life to security forces, diplomacy, economy, and business. Experience has shown us that when women participate fully, societies become more just, stronger, and more prosperous.”
President Osmani emphasized that peace processes and security systems that exclude women cannot be sustainable, and that women are not merely observers of progress but leaders in politics, security, diplomacy, economy, and business.
“Last year, I had the great honor of receiving the 2025 Women for Peace and Security Award from the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. We accepted it not as a personal distinction, but as a reminder of our shared mission: to ensure that women’s leadership is fully recognized as essential for building sustainable peace, strengthening democracies, and shaping a safer world for all.
Yet we must confront the reality before us. Around the world, many women still face violence, marginalization, and injustice. Ending this cannot be left to one nation or one generation alone — it is a responsibility we all share. Advancing women’s rights and leadership is not merely a matter of justice; it is essential for the health of our democracies, the preservation of peace, and the protection of human dignity.
We must remain clear in our purpose and unwavering in our commitment. Women’s voices must never be silenced or ignored. Their leadership must not be treated as optional, and inequality must never be accepted as the status quo. Because when women lead, societies always become stronger. When equality is real, peace becomes more sustainable.
The future we aspire to is one where every woman’s ambition is recognized as legitimate, her contribution valued, and her leadership understood for what it truly is — indispensable.”
