HAPPY WOMEN'S DAY !!!!
Women are the reason we are all here..
Message of the Secretary-General of the
United Nations
International Women's Day
8 March 2006
The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day -- the role of women in
decision-making -- is central to the advancement of women around the
world, and to the progress of humankind as a whole. As the Beijing
Declaration tells us, “women's empowerment and their full participation on
the basis of equality in all spheres of society, including participation
in the decision-making process and access to power, are fundamental for
the achievement of equality, development and peace.”
The international community is finally beginning to understand a
fundamental principle: women are every bit as affected as any man by the
challenges facing humanity in the 21st century -- in economic and social
development, as well as in peace and security. Often, they are more
affected. It is, therefore, right and indeed necessary that women should
be engaged in the decision-making processes in all areas, with equal
strength and in equal numbers.
The world is also starting to grasp that there is no policy more effective
in promoting development, health and education than the empowerment of
women and girls. And I would venture that no policy is more important in
preventing conflict, or in achieving reconciliation after a conflict has
ended.
We do have achievements to celebrate in women’s representation around the
world. In January of this year, the proportion of women in national
parliaments reached a new global high. There are now 11 women Heads of
State or Government, in countries on every continent. And three countries
– Chile, Spain and Sweden – now have gender parity in Government.
But we have far, far more to do. The rate of progress overall is slow. Let
us remember that in individual countries, the increase in the number of
women in decision-making has not happened by itself. Rather, it is often
the result of institutional and electoral initiatives, such as the
adoption of goals and quotas, political party commitment and sustained
mobilization. It is also the result of targeted and concerted measures to
improve the balance between life and work. Those are lessons every nation
-- and the United Nations -- need to take very seriously.
At the 2005 World Summit, world leaders declared that “progress for women
is progress for all”. On this International Women’s Day, let us rededicate
ourselves to demonstrating the truth behind those words. Let us ensure
that half the world’s population takes up its rightful place in the
world’s decision-making.