UN News Centre, 13 August 2012
The empowerment of young women is key for advancing development around the world, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, adding that it is a priority for the United Nations to encourage their active participation in society.
“The lack of women’s representation – of women’s empowerment – affects individual women’s rights – and it holds back whole countries,” Mr. Ban told participants at the first World Congress of Global Partnership for Young Women and Second Global Partnership Forum in Seoul, Republic of Korea (ROK).
From farming to leading Governments and troops, women have repeatedly shown that they can excel in many areas and make positive contributions to their countries, Mr. Ban said. However, he noted that they still do not enjoy the same benefits as men, and called on Governments to support their advancement.
“Although there has been important progress, women still do not have a strong enough voice in decision-making. Women make up just a fraction of all chief executives of the world’s biggest companies. Fewer than one in ten presidents or prime ministers are women, and less than one in five parliamentarians are women,” Mr. Ban said...
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