Today in Murmansk, at the International Arctic Forum "The Arctic is the territory of Dialogue", the United Volunteer Center of the Murmansk Region, the Council of the Eurasian Women's Forum under the Federation Council of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Regional Development of Russia held an Arctic Lounge session, which launched the second stream of the educational program "A Woman Leader. The North and the Far East. The centers of gravity."
A special session dedicated to the role of women in the development of the northern regions was held at the International Arctic Forum for the first time. The discussion took place in the format of an Arctic breakfast accompanied by classical musical compositions. Earlier, in September 2024, the Arctic Lounge became part of the business program of the IV Eurasian Women's Forum in St. Petersburg. The session was opened by Galina Karelova, Chairman of the Council of the Eurasian Women's Forum. The discussion was moderated by Evgenia Chibis, Head of the United Volunteer Center of the Murmansk Region.
At the opening of the Arctic Lounge, a solemn ceremony was held to launch the second stream of the educational program "A Woman Leader. The North and the Far East. The centers of gravity." The program was officially launched by Galina Karelova, Chairman of the Council of the Eurasian Women's Forum, Alexey Chekunkov, Minister of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic, and Andrey Betin, Director General of ANO Russia – Land of Opportunities.
The program "A woman leader. The North and the Far East is a joint project of the Council of the Eurasian Women's Forum, the Ministry of the Far East Development of Russia and the Senezh Management Workshop of the presidential platform "Russia – the Land of Opportunities". The first stream of the educational program was held in 2024, and 116 participants from 19 regions of the Far East and the Arctic graduated, who developed 20 projects for the development of macro-regions.
Chairman of the Eurasian Women's Forum, Senator Galina Karelova noted that the educational program "Woman Leader" is one of the most effective and popular joint projects of the Council of the Eurasian Women's Forum and the Senezh Management Workshop of the presidential platform "Russia – the land of Opportunities". In four years, more than 1,500 women from different regions of Russia and more than 30 countries have become graduates of the program, according to her. The senator stressed that this is the second program for women from the northern and Far Eastern regions. It takes into account the goals of socio-economic development, and first of all, the implementation of 38 master plans in 22 Far Eastern and 16 Arctic agglomerations.
"The North and the Far East. Centers of Attraction" is a special project with a "talking name", a special program for outstanding women who will have to implement projects that improve the quality of life in these harsh lands, turning them into real centers of attraction. This task requires non-standard approaches, great professionalism and courage. Solving it is a serious challenge and at the same time a great chance to show your talents, will and character by applying your knowledge to the development of regions that are strategically important to Russia," said Galina, Chairman of the Council of the Eurasian Women's Forum, First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Federal Structure, Regional Policy, Local Government and Northern Affairs. Karelova.
With increasing interest in the Arctic, the role of women in the development of these territories is becoming increasingly important. The participants of the Arctic Lounge discussed how to create conditions for the formation of new leaders in the Arctic territories, which projects can be replicated to improve the quality of life.
"The Arctic is feminine, and the north is masculine, and there is great harmony in this. We see women in different positions, in different professions. They all work with dignity and very wisely. The role of women in the development of the Arctic is definitely great. We will do everything possible to make women feel comfortable in the Arctic," said Alexey Chekunkov, Russian Minister for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic.
According to him, today there is a strengthening of the new role and mission of women in solving all the tasks facing the regions. Therefore, it is important to actively and comprehensively develop their personal and professional potential, enhance women's leadership and managerial skills, and create conditions for improving their education and competencies. The program "A woman leader. The North and the Far East is one of the most important tools for achieving these goals.
One of the main topics of the "Arctic Lounge" was the discussion of the role of heroes' wives in modern society. In recent years, the Murmansk Region has accumulated a unique experience in unlocking the potential of spouses of military personnel and residents of closed administrative-territorial entities. The flagship project of the United Volunteer Center, the Star of the North conference, is now successfully scaled not only in the Arctic territories, but also covers regions throughout Russia.
"Today we are absolutely sure that the Star of the North project is relevant wherever there are women. His task is to awaken a woman's desire to develop and make the lives of others better, while remaining the guardian of the hearth. After participating in the "Stars of the North" events, the girls go to study and start their own businesses, implement social projects, and learn about them at the federal level. And most importantly, they begin to shine brighter and share this energy with their loved ones. As one truth says, a woman is happy, and her family is happy," said Evgenia Chibis, head of the United Volunteer Center of the Murmansk Region, member of the Council of the Eurasian Women's Forum, author of the Star of the North project for military wives.
The project of the Unified Volunteer Center for the support of military wives is working in a complex, complementing the range of regional programs to support civil initiatives and unleash human capital in the Arctic, said Oksana Demchenko, First Deputy Governor of the Murmansk Region. There are 34 measures in place in the Murmansk Region to support ITS participants and their family members, the Heroes of the North project has been launched, which is a regional analogue of the federal Time of Heroes program. With the support of Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and the initiative of Governor Andrey Chibis, a large-scale renovation program has been in operation for several years, which radically changes the quality of life. in military garrisons.
In the program "The North and the Far East. Centers of Attraction", developed in partnership with Zabaikalsky State University with the support of the Ministry of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic, will bring together 120 women leaders with achievements and managerial experience from 18 northern and Far Eastern regions. The training is designed for 4 months. The classes will be taught by experienced supervisors and leading experts in the field of leadership and social design. The participants of the program should initiate the development and launch of pilot social projects designed to contribute to the socio-economic development of macroregions. The release will take place in July 2025.
The International Arctic Forum "The Arctic – the territory of dialogue" is being held on March 26-27, 2025 in Murmansk under the slogan "Live in the North!". The forum is organized by the Roscongress Foundation with the support of the Government of the Russian Federation. The Forum is a key platform for discussing topical issues of socio-economic development of the Arctic territories, developing multi-level multilateral mechanisms for joint disclosure and effective development of the powerful resource potential of the Arctic region. The women's session was held at the forum for the first time and became a continuation of the events of the Eurasian Women's Forum.
/ Ministry of Information Policy of the Murmansk Region /
Photo: Roscongress Foundation, Anatoly Strebelev
