President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, friends, welcome everyone.
This meeting takes place in the run-up to a wonderful spring holiday, women’s holiday of March 8. First of all, I would like to take this occasion to wish you and all women of Russia all the best, happiness, and success – in the broadest sense of the word – in your work.
We all know that the traditions of virtually all the peoples of the Russian Federation include special attitude towards women, a very special one. Above all, it is about the warmest and most heartfelt feelings towards one’s mother, gratitude to one’s mother for giving life, for raising children, and for loving care and warmth. It is also about special feelings for girlfriends and wives.
Without a doubt, a great many responsibilities fall upon women: they must be beautiful and appealing at home combining this with a large number of household chores that traditionally fall on women’s shoulders. I mentioned children earlier, but often the other half of the family also needs the same kind of care as children.
With regard to work, our women have always – I emphasise this – always stood out as conscientious workers. You and all women in Russia are very responsible when it comes to your professional duties and thus deserve special words of gratitude for that as well.
In our time, women also assume responsibilities in the fields that – at least in our country – have traditionally been regarded as male professions. All these fields are represented at our meeting today and include military personnel of various specialisations and branches of service, not only medics and communications specialists, but also other military professions. That includes the defence industry, scientific research, and even – as I know from the briefing materials that I went through before coming here – performing artists who are directly involved in the military activity and are members of the performance troupes that appear before our servicemen on the frontlines. There are many such fields.
Of course, we will always assess the contribution made by a particular individual, regardless of whether that person is a woman or a man, by what these people, in this case our women, are doing as part of their professional duties.
To reiterate, we have different people, different women, in this room, including those who are undergoing training under the widely known Time of Heroes platform. I hope you will share with us how your training goes and what kind of future is opening up before you.
Once again, my best wishes on the occasion of March 8 International Women’s Day.
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