Belarusian women represented by Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, Maria Kolesnikova and Veronika Tsepkalo have been awarded the prestigious Medal for Democracy from the International Association of Political Consultants. The IAPC has awarded the Medal for Democracy since 1982 to an individual or organisation that has worked courageously to promote, advance and sustain the democratic process anywhere in the world. The first Medal for Democracy was awarded at the IAPC Berlin Conference to Lech Walesa, Leader of Polish Solidarity. Subsequent winners have included Margaret Thatcher, Mikhail Gorbachev, Nelson Mandela, Boris Yeltsin, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and many others.