Women's Political Participation – Making Gender Equality in Politics a Reality
At a high-level event on September 19, during the 66th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, women political leaders strongly called for increasing women's political participation and decision-making across the world. Stressing that women's participation is fundamental to democracy and essential to the achievement of sustainable development and peace in all contexts — during peace, through conflict and post-conflict, and during political transitions — the leaders signed on to a joint statement with concrete recommendations on ways to advance women's political participation.
Signatories of the joint statement included: H.E. Dilma Rousseff, President of Brazil; Honourable Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago; H.E. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State of the United States of America; Rt. Hon. Baroness Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission; H.E. Roza Otunbayeva, President of the Kyrgyz Republic; H.E. Tarja Halonen, President of Finland; Ms. Trinidad Jiménez, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain; Rocio Garcia Gaytan, Minister of Women's Affairs, Mexico; Dr. Aurelia Frick, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Principality of Liechtenstein; Lilia Labidi, Minister of Women's Affairs, Republic of Tunisia; Patricia Janet, Baroness Scotland of Asthal, UK; UN Deputy Secretary-General Dr. Asha-Rose Migiro; Helen Clark, Under-Secretary-General and Administrator, UN Development Programme; and Michelle Bachelet, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director, UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.
Speeches (click on name to view):