UN pledges commitment to advancing gender equality

Feb.05,2014: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday pledged to root for women everywhere ahead of his departure for the Winter Olympics in Sochi,Russia, while stressing the need for the UN and its partners to lay the groundwork to enable all women to enjoy their rights and be empowered.
Ban noted that 2015 will be crucial for the future of development and the future of women’s rights. Next year marks the target date for the achievement of the global anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals, which contain specific benchmarks for gender equality.
Countries are also working toward the adoption of global development agenda beyond 2015, as well as on securing a global climate change agreement by the end of next year.
2015 also marks the 20th anniversary of the landmark Beijing World Conference on Women. The Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action, adopted unanimously by 189 countries, is considered the key global policy document on gender equality, addressing critical areas such as women and poverty, violence against women and the human rights of women.
Source: UN