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Commonwealth Secretariat press release

Message from Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon for International Women’s Day on 8 March

7 March 2007

Every year, International Women’s Day reminds us that the journey towards an equal world for women and men is still an arduous one.

This year, its theme is ‘Ending impunity for violence against women’. Over the years, many countries have adopted international instruments for women and passed national laws, while global and national campaigns have called for an end to all violence against women. Yet much more remains to be done. Many women are still subjected to violence; most cases of violence remain unreported; and the majority of perpetrators continue to walk free.

If we are to make the world a safer place for women and girls, countries must be persuaded to devote adequate finances to fighting this violence.

Violence against women cuts across society and affects all aspects of governance. Without development and peace, we cannot have an equal world. Political will and sufficient financial resources are the essential components for the achievement of that world. The Commonwealth recognises women’s crucial roles in achieving development and democracy, as its 2005-2015 Plan of Action for Gender Equality shows.

This is an exciting period for the Commonwealth Secretariat as we prepare for the 8th triennial Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Ministers Meeting (8WAMM) in Kampala, Uganda, from 11 to 14 June.

8WAMM’s theme of ‘Financing gender equality for development and democracy’ reflects the growing awareness that women’s rights and gender equality are being overlooked in development and democratisation processes. In the Commonwealth, we see the impact of that neglect in a number of ways: different levels of access to services and resources for women and men, girls and boys; the feminisation of poverty; high maternal mortality; girls being denied an education; widespread HIV/AIDS prevalence among women and girls; a low percentage of female parliamentarians. Our message is that resources must be allocated to gender equality and to women’s rights if real progress is to be made.

Our vision remains of a Commonwealth at the cutting edge of gender equality. 8WAMM can secure funding for that; and the young girls of the Commonwealth can grow up in a world without poverty and fear.

Let us work together to deepen our commitment and strengthen our collaboration in the cause of improving women’s and girls’ lives. Half the people on this planet deserve our whole-hearted support.

Greetings to you all on International Women’s Day 2007.

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ISSUED BY THE COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIVISION
Commonwealth Secretariat Marlborough House Pall Mall London SW1Y 5HX United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)20 7747 6385/6 Fax: +44 (0)20 7839 9081
Email: info@commonwealth.int