During the WPL Global Summit 2017 organised by the Women Political Leaders Global Forum, together with the Council of Women World Leaders, President of Malta Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca was presented with the Women Political Leader Award 2017. The high-level global summit has brought together a unique gathering of over 250 women political leaders from all around the world.

President Coleiro Preca dedicated her award to the people of Malta and Gozo, and added that she “would like to share this award with all those women who are not in the spotlight, who are not given visibility in the media, and who are sacrificing their lives, in communities, in conflict-stricken countries. These women are leaders too, in their own right.”

Awardees also included the former Prime Minister of New Zealand Helen Clarke, former President of Kosovo Atifete Jahjaga, and President of Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, among other distinguished women.

The award ceremony began by honouring the contributions of Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, former President of Iceland and the world’s first democratically elected woman President. Finnbogadóttir, who served longer as president than any woman from any country, also founded the Council of Women World Leaders twenty years ago.  

President Coleiro Preca is a member of the Advisory Board of the Women Political Leaders Global Forum, and a member of the Council of Women World Leaders. The President will also address two high-level panel discussions, the first of which is focused on issues of motherhood and migration.