Roza Otunbayeva: ‘I Have Broken the Vision that Women Can't Run the Country’

Roza Otunbayeva is the first female president of Kyrgyzstan.

There are so many exciting things to do in London that sometimes we wish there were more days in a week. For instance, it is always worth to check London School of Economics’ public events which are mostly free of charge and open to general public.
 
It is an opportunity to hear well-respected professors, businessmen and even meet the world leaders at these events if you are lucky (and fast!).  Just keep in mind, that sometimes you are required to book a free ticket in advance. 
 
MOREmins was excited to attend a public lecture of Roza Otunbayeva who was the first female president of Kyrgyzstan in 2010 - 2011.

She was also the first woman to head a country in male-dominated Central Asia, so her insights were particularly interesting.
 
Mrs Otunbayeva's lecture was part of the project Above the Parapet, which seeks to capture the experiences of high profile women who have shaped public life.

In the beginning of the lecture Mrs Otunbayeva emphasized, that she came to LSE to talk about her own journey, not about politics. But of course it was impossible to avoid this topic as her career in politics and diplomacy started decades ago.

Kyrgyz woman took power after bloody street riots in April 2010 which ousted president Kurmanbek Bakiyev.

Mrs Otunbayeva served as a president of Kyrgyzstan until December 2011 when a newly elected president was sworn in. It was the first peaceful transition of power in Central Asia and Mrs Otunbayeva earned international plaudits for agreeing to relinquish her seat.

"LSE main entrance" by Umezo KAMATA - Own work.

The former president of Kyrgyzstan Roza Otunbayeva during her public lecture at LSE.

Now the leader works for her foundation, where among other issues, she pays a lot of attention to women’s mentorship and their rights. 

During the public lecture at LSE Mrs Otunbayeva said that she put forward a lot of women candidates to high positions when she became a president. In her belief “it is a job for every woman leader” to do.

"Women can make a peaceful resolution of many things. Women are patient. Women have intuition. Women have something as a seventh feeling. (...) I want to see the future of my nation secular, bright, open for women, for girls," Otunbayeva said during her public lecture at LSE. 

While answering the questions from the audience about how she dealt with difficult situations during her political career, Mrs Otunbayeva said: “It was difficult, it was not easy. From women someone would expect hysterics or very emotional reaction to something in a time of fire, in a time of intensive conflict.  It seems to me that, what I have done, I have broken the vision that women can't run the country, that women can't be at the helm of the situation when the situation is very bad,"  talked Mrs Otunbayeva.

Find the podcast of this event here.

All the best,

MOREmins