Harriet Harman,
Minister for Women and Equality, will today host an unprecedented
meeting of women Ambassadors to agree how to work together to
improve women's lives, and to work to support the
establishment of a new UN agency for women.
This is the first time such a meeting of women Ambassadors to
London has been held. Up to 30 senior diplomats, including 13
Ambassadors, will attend, representing some 26 countries.
Tomorrow, Wednesday 10th February, Ms Harman and International
Development Minister Gareth Thomas will co-host a further meeting
with Non-Government Organisations concerned with women and
development issues, to discuss the new UN agency for women.
Harriet Harman, Minister for Women and Equality, said:
"These meetings are an unprecedented opportunity for
women Ambassadors, women in NGOs, and women Ministers, to work
together to make a difference to women's lives in their
own countries and internationally.
"There are now women ministers and diplomats in every
continent and in most countries, and that is a trend which is only
set to continue. This offers the prospect that the agenda for
women - equality, tackling poverty, ending violence against women,
women's representation - can move beyond making demands
of male dominated international structures.
"Now, women in Government, in the diplomatic services,
and in the third sector, can work together: not just to ask men
for change, but to make change happen. Women are stronger when we
all work together."
Baroness Kinnock, who co-hosted the Ambassadors'
meeting, said:
"The Foreign Office is pleased to have been part of
a concerted cross government effort to garner interest and support
for the proposal that there should be a new UN gender agency which
will coordinate the essential task of bringing the rights of women
to the forefront of UN business."
"Today's meeting provides an excellent
opportunity to hear the views of senior women diplomats based in London."
International Development Minister Gareth Thomas, who will
co-host the NGO meeting on Wednesday, said:
"The
creation of a single agency for women would be a historic step for
gender equality.
"Up until now, UN performance on gender has been
disjointed, under-resourced and ineffective.
"That is why the UK has been pushing the UN to take
action and set up the new body.
"Events like
today's meeting provide a unique opportunity for leading
Ambassadors to come together to drive forward this work and make
sure the women's agency becomes a reality."
These meetings are the latest in a series of events to build
support for the agenda and new structure:
* On Wednesday 3rd February 2010, Ms Harman co-hosted
European Women in Power summit in Cadiz, Spain.
* Today,
Tuesday 9th February 2010, Ms Harman is hosting a meeting in
London with women Ambassadors and senior diplomats to the UK to
gain their support.
* Tomorrow, Wednesday 10th February 2010,
Ms Harman is hosting a meeting with Non-Government Organisations
concerned with women issues and development issues.
* Next
month Ms Harman will attend the UN meeting of the Commission on
the Status of Women.
At the Cadiz Summit Women Ministers from 23 countries across
Europe agreed a Declaration pledging to meet routinely on a
regular basis, as EU leaders and Finance Ministers do, to make
progress on supporting women, both at a European and international level.
In addition to holding regular summits of Women Ministers, other
commitments pledged in the Cadiz Declaration include: to get more
women at all levels in political, public and economic decision
making; to support men and women to share domestic and caring
responsibilities; to assess how the downturn may affect women
differently to men; to work to eradicate all forms of violence
against women; and to support the establishment of a strong UN
agency for women.
Next month Ms Harman will attend the UN meeting of the Commission
on the Status of Women.
Ms Harman is working with Foreign Office Minister Baroness
Kinnock and International Development Minister Gareth Thomas on
the new UN agency for women.
MEDIA ENQUIRIES
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NOTES FOR EDITORS
* The
Government Equalities Office is responsible for the
Government's overall strategy, legislation, and
priorities on equality issues. The Office also has direct
responsibility for policy on gender equality, sexual orientation,
and for integrating work on race. The Prime Minister announced the
establishment of the Government Equalities Office (GEO) in July
2007 and it became a Department in its own right in October 2007.
It works to Ministers Harriet Harman, Maria Eagle, Vera Baird, and
Michael Foster.
* The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in New
York on 1st March 2010.
* It is expected that the UN will take forward the
establishment of the new UN agency for women, to be led by a new
Under Secretary-General, by the close of the current General
Assembly session (UNGA 64), following the UN resolution 63/311 of
14th September 2009.
* Countries represented at the Ambassadors meeting on Tuesday
9th February 2010 in Westminster include: Belize, Bolivia, Costa
Rica, Egypt, France, Grenada, Hungary, Jordan, Lebanon,
Luxembourg, Macedonia, Maldives, Morocco, Papua New Guinea, Peru,
Poland, Rwanda, Spain, Sweden, Tanzania, The Gambia, Uganda, USA, Zambia.
* The Cadiz Summit was part of the Spanish presidency of the
EU, and was co-hosted by Minister for Women and Equality Harriet
Harman and Spanish Equalities Minister Bibiana Aido Almagro. Ms
Harman's speech can be read in full here: http://www.equalities.gov.uk/docs/CADIZ%20HH%20speech%20FINAL%20DELIVERED.doc
* The Cadiz Declaration commits Ministers to working towards
getting more women in roles of high political responsibility; more
women at the top of democratic structures; and a more equal
balance between men and women holding elected office. The
Declaration highlights the need to ensure that the improvements in
women's educational achievement are reflected in the
number of women in decision making roles. It can be read in full
here: http://www.equalities.gov.uk/pdf/Declaraci..[1].pdf
Contacts:
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