Why Equality for Women Means Progress for All
" Women's rights are human rights" was famously stated at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing 1995. Since then, progress has been made, many discriminatory laws have been abolished, a coherent human rights system has been established and international policies and strategies to advance the status of women have been agreed upon.
In spite of these international efforts, worldwide gender disparities and discrimination, including violence against women and girls, persist. This is not only primarily a terrible human suffering, but also a major obstacle to sustainable development as well as economic growth.
Women and girls are often denied human rights. Worldwide, women are twice as likely as men to be illiterate. Women and girls are much more likely to become victims of trafficking. Fourteen million girls are married every year and are exposed to sexual violence, early childbearing and deprived of education. Over half a million women continue to die from pregnancy and childbirth-related causes each year. Gender-based violence kills or disables as many women between the ages of 15 and 44 as does cancer. And very often, perpetrators go unpunished.
The promotion of human rights in general and of women's rights in particular is a priority of both Switzerland's domestic and foreign policy. The Swiss government is convinced that sustainable development and economic growth can only be achieved by providing women and girls with equal rights, freedom and dignity, by educating them and giving them confidence and self-esteem and let them decide freely on the way of life they want to choose.
Moreover, it is the empowerment of women and girls as well as gender equality, which will unleash the full potential of half the world's population.
Looking ahead, women and men must continue to work together to achieve full gender equality since it benefits both the economy and society as a whole. Equality for women means progress for all.
International Women's Day is a time to reflect on progress made and to celebrate the actions of those women and men who stand shoulder to shoulder to eliminate discrimination against women.
Happy Women's Day to those Indonesian women and men, girls and boys, engaged in achieving equal rights and freedom of choice for women and girls as well as full gender equality!
Didier Burkhalter is president of the Swiss Confederation and chairman-in-office of the OSCE for 2014.
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