Ināra Mūrniece has served as the defense minister of the Republic of Latvia since December 14, 2022. Prior to that, she was the speaker of the Saeima—the unicameral Latvian parliament—beginning in 2014. As a member of parliament since 2011, she has chaired the Committee on Human Rights and Public Affairs and the National Security Committee, and was a member of the National Upbringing Committee and the Social Cohesion Committee. She has also served as a member of National Security Council of Latvia. Mūrniece began her career as a journalist at Latvia’s largest daily newspaper, Latvijas Avīze, where she worked predominantly on issues of national defense and security. She holds a bachelor’s degree in translation from the School of Economics and Culture and a qualification from the University of Latvia.

Brussels Forum Session: Opening Dinner: A Shared Cause, A Meal Shared—Voices from the Region

Daria Chekalova is deputy head of Divchata-NGO Girls and has worked in the sphere of women’s, girls’, and children’s rights for four years. Her previous experience includes managing campaigns to raise awareness of key issues and supporting projects that aim to improve children’s digital literacy and prevent sexual abuse online. 

At NGO Girls, Chekalova leads several humanitarian response projects and is responsible for grantwriting, business development, and partnership communications. She is passionate about developing the NGO's capacity and visibility, along with that of other local grassroots organizations, and advocating for women and children. 

Chekalova obtained a bachelor's degree in linguistics from the Kyiv National Linguistics University and a master's degree in international communications from the Kyiv Shevchenko National University.

Michelle Hermes was formerly Program Assistant at GMF.