| United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday called for recommitting to the 1994 Cairo Programme to empower women.
Speaking in General Assembly as it marked the 15th Anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development, he noted that there have been achievements in improving the lives of women.
He said today more women use modern contraception, fewer babies die during their first year and more women giving birth in developing countries have skilled personnel to help them.
However, he added, despite these achievements, millions of women still face hardships including sexual violence, genital mutilation and other harmful traditions as well as a lack of access to safe and effective contraception,
The Secretary-General said the Cairo Programme of Action is critical to achieving the Millennium Development Goals especially maternal health which, he said, is linked directly to a country's health system.
"When we improve maternal health, all people will benefit. To fully carry out the Cairo Programme of Action means providing women with reproductive health services, including family planning. It means backing poverty-eradication initiatives. And it means preventing rape during wartime and ending the culture of impunity."
The Secretary-General said all of these actions require funding and stressed that although this may be a time of a global turmoil and economic downturn, it is not a time to renege on promises made to protect and invest in women. |
