INTERNATIONAL: Migiro Praises Women Groups for Advancing Gender Equality

Deputy UN Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro has lauded women groups for their achievements in advancing gender equality globally.

Speaking at the opening of the 54th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW) in New York Monday, Migiro urged the women to move their achievements on gender equality ``from commitment to action in several key areas''.

According to her, more people now understand that the empowerment of women and girls is not just a goal in itself, but a key to sustainable development, economic growth, peace and security.

She said more leaders were now taking a public stance on decent work for all and speaking out against the pandemic of violence.

The UN chief described as "a cause for global shame" the continued violence and abuses suffered by women.

``Violence is the most blatant manifestation of discrimination against women, but it is not the only one. Injustice and inequality persist in developing and developed countries and in all regions.

`` In 1968, the 23rd Special Session of the General Assembly called for the removal of laws that discriminate against women by 2000, but many such laws still exist across the globe,'' she said.

Migiro noted that in most countries, gaps had remained between passing laws and implementing them and negative stereotyping of women continued to prevent change.

She also noted that women still outnumbered men among the world's poorest people, adding that two-thirds of illiterate adults were women, a statistics that has not changed in 20 years.

Mr Sha Zukang, the Under Secretary-General for Economic Affairs, said the initiatives taken by the present leadership of the UN in the cause of gender equality and empowerment of women ``are unprecedented in the his tory of UN.''

``To give but one example, the Secretary-General has appointed so far the largest number of women Under-Secretaries-General and Assistant Secretaries-General in the UN system.

``To borrow a colloquial phrase on gender issues, the Secretary-General has talk ed the talk and walked the walk,'' he said.

In the next two weeks, the Commission on the Status of Women is expected to cons ider various aspects of the issue of equality between men and women.

This year's session of the Commission marks the 15th anniversary of the adopti on of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action â" the outcome of the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995.

The Platform called for action on 12 key issues: poverty, education and training , health, violence against women, armed conflict, economy, power and decision-making, institutional mechanisms, human rights, media, environment, and girls.