SalfordOnline
Your local community website
  UNICEF Says World Leaders Have Not Kept Promises to GirlsFifteen years after a landmark conference in Beijing at which nations agreed to improve the status of women and girls a UNICEF report says that persistent gender inequality remains. At UNICEF House a panel of experts assembled to discuss a report presented at the 54th session of the Commission on the Status of women. It explores why world leaders have failed to deliver their promises to girls. Shotlist: Shotlist 1. GVS UNICEF panel discussion 2. SOT Donnady Coquila Lao Philippines Youth Advocate (English) "I don't think much progress has been made. It is very disappointing to know that there are still children who are not aware of gender equality and there are also responsible parents who don't take care of their children's future and it is very disappointing." 3. GVS panel discussion 4. SOT Charlotte Bunch Centre for Women's Global Leadership (English) "I think we have not come to the clarity that it is not a cultural prerogative to have discrimination and to have second class status and I think men have to say that more firmly." 5. GVS panel discussion 6. SOT Mary Robinson President, Realizing Rights: The Ethical Global Initiative (English) "We haven't played the full human rights agenda enough with the girl child. And I mean in particular Article One of the Universal Declaration of Human rights which says all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. So what is the dignity of the girl child?" 7. GVS panel discussion 8. SOT Audun Lysbakken Norwegian Minister of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion (English) "Change is actually possible. But there are two things we have to realize and the first one is the point that Charlotte was stressing that it's not a question of whether we can afford to invest in equality the question is whether we can afford not to." 9. GVS panel discussion Script Fifteen years after a landmark conference in Beijing at which nations agreed to improve the status of women and girls UNICEF says that persistent inequality remains. SOT Donnady Coquila Lao Philippines Youth Advocate (English) "It is very disappointing to know that there are still children who are not aware of gender equality and there are also responsible parents who don't take care of their children's future and it is very disappointing." At UNICEF House a panel of experts assembled to discuss a report presented at the 54th session of the Commission on the Status of women. It explores why world leaders have failed to deliver their promises to girls. SOT Charlotte Bunch Centre for Women's Global Leadership (English) "I think we have not come to the clarity that it is not a cultural prerogative to have discrimination and to have second class status and I think men have to say that more firmly." Mary Robinson, who was Ireland's first female president, said girls often begin life feeling they are not as good as their brothers. SOT Mary Robinson Realizing Rights: The Ethical Global Initiative (English) "What enables girls to live a life of dignity? … food education a life free from violence." The panel discussed ways to change discriminatory practices through the political process, tackling issues such as violence and early marriage and by emphasizing that equality is essential for economic development. SOT Audun Lysbakken Norwegian Minister of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion (English) ""Change is actually possible. But there are two things we have to realize and the first one is the point that Charlotte was stressing that it's not a question of whether we can afford to invest in equality the question is whether we can afford not to." Panellists were optimistic that despite the challenges faced by the global economic crisis and climate change that the status of women and girls would improve as leaders realized that investing in women and girls is an investment in a better society.
Got a news story? Need help with publicity for an event in Salford? Send it to newsdesk@salfordonline.com or call the SalfordOnline newsdesk on 0161 789 5377. |
