8TH EUVP ALUMNI WEBINAR: “WOMEN SHAPING GLOBAL POLITICS”
ONLINE WEBINAR
Wednesday, 5 March 2025, 14.00-16.00 CET
The European Union Visitors Programme (EUVP) is pleased to announce its 8th EUVP Alumni Webinar featuring EUVP Alumni guest speakers from Armenia, Mongolia and Sierra Leone as well as representatives of the EU institutions.
Join us on the occasion of International Women’s Day for a panel discussion with women whose leadership in diplomacy, EU institutions, and global advocacy is shaping international politics. We will explore the state of gender equality in politics and diplomacy worldwide, strategies for breaking barriers to women’s leadership, and the role of global collaboration to achieve gender equality.
Click here to follow the livestream.
Agenda
14.00 Welcome by moderator Ms Sarah SHEIL, Head of the Communication and Outreach Unit (DG EXPO), European Parliament
14.05 Keynote speech by Ms Sanna LEPOLA, Director-General, Directorate-General for Parliamentary Democracy Partnerships, European Parliament (TBC)
14.15 Panel discussion moderated by Ms Sarah SHEIL:
Ms Julia KOCH-DE BIOLLEY, Head of EEAS Task Force Gender and Diversity, European External Action Service
Ms Asmaa JAMES (Alumna 2024, Sierra Leone), Deputy Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium, journalist and women's rights activist
Ms Udani GUNAWARDENA (Alumna 2017, Sri Lanka), Director of the East Asia Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka
Ms Anush HARUTYUNYAN (Alumna 2023, Armenia), Head of the Division of Information and Digital Diplomacy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia
Ms Zolzaya BATKHUYAG (Alumna 2024, Mongolia), Co-Founder of Women for Change (NGO), founder of the Women’s Political Leadership Program and of Mongolia’s first women’s stand-up comedy crew “Big Sistas”
15.20 Q&A with online audience
15.55 Closing remarks by Mr Piotr BARTOSZEWICZ-MALICKI, Head of the European Union Visitors Programme
Introduction to speakers and panellists
Sanna LEPOLA has worked in different functions in the European Parliament for 24 years. Prior to her appointment, Ms Lepola was Secretary 
General of The Left group in the European Parliament, a position she held since May 2017, following a seven-year tenure as the group’s Deputy Secretary General. She began her career at the EP as a parliamentary assistant in 1999, before joining a political group, as a policy officer working on budgetary and constitutional affairs. Sanna Lepola holds Master’s degrees in European and International politics and studied at the University of Leicester (UK) and Tampere University (Finland).
Julia KOCH-DE BIOLLEY: With extensive experience in international relations, crisis response, and human resources, Julia de Biolley currently serves as the Head of the Gender and Diversity Taskforce at the European External 
Action Service (EEAS) in Brussels. She has extensive experience in international diplomacy, notably in the Middle East, having served twice as Deputy Head of Delegation for the EU: in Lebanon (2017-2020) and in the West Bank and Gaza (2010-2013). In addition to her diplomatic career, Julia has a keen interest in organizational and human resource development, having held advisory roles in resource and HR management at the EEAS. She is also a trained systemic coach and trains in positive leadership. Julia held key positions in career development, political affairs, and crisis response at the EEAS, the European Commission, and Médecins Sans Frontières.
Asmaa JAMES, OOR, is currently Deputy Ambassador/Minister Plenipotentiary at the Sierra Leone Embassy in Brussels; she is an award-winning female radio broadcaster with over 22 years of broadcast experience in post-conflict Sierra Leone. She is also a 2024 alumni of the prestigious European Union Visitors Program. Her passion and interests include upholding and promoting independent media platforms and creating safe spaces for diverse voices for women and girls.
Udani GUNAWARDENA currently works as Director for East Asia at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka. She has more than 12 years of experience as a career diplomat
and has previously worked in the Sri Lanka Missions in Tokyo and in Geneva. Her main work interests include human rights, disarmament and nonproliferation. Ms. Gunawardena has an acedemic background in law and holds a masters degree in international human rights law from the Central European University in Vienna.
Anush HARUTYUNYAN is a skilled diplomat with a focus on digital diplomacy and public relations. She is currently the Head of
the Information and Digital Diplomacy Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, where she ensures the effective communication of Armenia’s foreign policy and diplomatic activities. Anush manages PR campaigns, leads public and cultural diplomacy initiatives, and collaborates with international counterparts to address disinformation. Passionate about leveraging digital diplomacy, she works to enhance Armenia’s global presence and strengthen its international relations. Additionally, Anush has participated in various international training courses, including those focused on digital capabilities, diplomatic skills, and media management.
Zolzaya BATKHUYAG (she/her) is a lawyer, gender and development analyst, and co-founder
of the Women for Change (WFC) NGO in Mongolia. An Australia Awards Fellow, she holds a Master’s in Development Studies from the University of Melbourne. A dedicated advocate, trainer, and consultant, she has led grassroots initiatives since 2008. She produced Mongolia’s first Vagina Monologues (2011–2013) and founded the Women’s Political Leadership Program, training over 200 women leaders. She has contributed to election observations and civil society, serving on boards like the LGBT Centre of Mongolia. A World Economic Forum Young Global Leader (2021), she also founded Big Sistas, Mongolia’s first women’s stand-up comedy crew, using artivism to promote gender equality.