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• International Women’s Day 8 March 2005 - Message from the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Don McKinnon

International Women’s Day 8 March 2005 - Message from the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Don McKinnon

7 March 2005

International Women’s Day focuses our attention on the key role played by women in development and democracy. Women’s full involvement and leadership is central to democracy and human rights, ending conflict, economic growth, eradicating poverty and combating disease, including HIV/AIDS.

Delegates at the Commonwealth Women's Affairs Ministers meeting, Fiji Islands, June 2004.

These are all pressing Commonwealth priorities. If you don't enable half the world to play their part in solving the problems our planet is facing, you're only going to get half the solutions.

Women have proven to be the driving force of growth and development. Educating women, for example, leads to better health for their entire family, a healthier population and workforce and increased economic growth. As Samoa's Minister of Education, Fiame Naomi Mataafa, said recently, "countries that have good representation by women are those with a healthy economy, an effective democratic government and an educated population." Men benefit too when women take their rightful place in politics.

Over the past few years, some progress has been achieved. Five years ago, Commonwealth Heads of Government set a target of 30 per cent female representation in parliament. Since then, 12 Commonwealth countries have achieved women's representation of between 20 and 30 per cent.

In countries emerging from years of conflict, the Commonwealth Secretariat has been particularly active in ensuring that the voices of women are heard in the process of peace building and reconstruction. In Sierra Leone, a National Consultation was convened, in collaboration with the Government and UN agencies, to encourage more Sierra Leonean women to participate in post-conflict reconstruction and become political leaders. Following this, at the May 2002 national elections, the percentage of women in the Sierra Leone Parliament almost doubled, from 8 to 15 per cent.

The Commonwealth Women's Affairs Ministers Meeting held in Fiji Islands, in June 2004, adopted a new 10-year Plan of Action for Gender Equality in the Commonwealth.  It strengthens our ongoing work in support of governments and civil society to eliminate discrimination and inequality based on gender.

But too many women still live on the edge, suffering violence in all its forms. Worldwide, one in three women will suffer violence during her lifetime - she will be raped, beaten, trafficked or harassed. To help address this problem, the Commonwealth Secretariat has developed an integrated approach to eliminating violence against women, which brings on board a wide range of social actors and which has been widely applied in member countries.

2005 signals the 49th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in New York, which coincides with the Beijing+10 Global Conference.  It will take stock of progress since the Beijing Declaration was adopted by 189 countries in 1995, when they pledged renewed action and commitment on gender equality, development and peace. The Commonwealth this week presents its new Plan of Action for Gender Equality 2005-2015 to the Beijing+10 Conference.

I urge all governments to increase their efforts and provide a solid foundation for the advancement of gender equality in this century. Let us harness the strength, courage and abilities of women throughout the world. It is time women are fully recognised as equal partners in building our common future.