UN Deputy Secretary-General encouraged Azerbaijan to advance gender equality - PHOTO

“I am really happy that the Secretary-General decided to send me to represent him at the 7th Council of Europe’s Conference of Ministers responsible for Equality between Women and Men titled "Gender equality: bridging the gap between de jure and de facto gender equality," Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro said on 24 May in Baku, Azerbaijan, where the conference is taking place.

“It is a very important meeting for us to take a stock and use the opportunity to look back where we come from, where we are now and what should be done to increase awareness about women’s empowerment and advancing gender equality,” Ms. Migiro pointed out. ”The meeting is very timely as we have just celebrated the 15th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action and also at the time when we are about to commemorate 10 years of the historic Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security. It is also just before the high-level summit on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which the SG is calling in September this year,” – Ms. Migiro said in addition.

Ms. Migiro also lauded the readiness of the government and people of Azerbaijan to host this conference. “This country is on the move and we have seen what the government is doing to empower people to increase economic growth of the country. It is also very important for us that the government is acting and that people are proactive, but it is also necessary to engage civil society organizations and have the support of the corporate world,” she said.

“Each of us”, the Deputy Secretary-General said, “has an important part to play in this. I had an opportunity to meet the First Lady and she is chairing a Foundation that is committed to support education. I think education is one of the very important tools in empowering women and fostering gender equality.” During the meeting, various issues were discussed but especially those related to education, the issues of early marriages and gender-based violence. It is encouraging that the First Lady was quite confident that the government is going to pass the law that addresses the issue of violence and of early marriages.

Ms. Migiro acknowledged that there are many roadblocks in this quest, but “it is encouraging that the people of Azerbaijan are ready to address that issue of inequality.” She also added: “What the government has started doing is commendable, but there is always room for improvement and the possibility to do more. For us in the UN, gender equality is a fundamental value and a part of our very identity, and our message is clear – we are always ready to assist the government in developing tools that are necessary to make progress. Ms. Migiro also discussed these issues with Ms. Hijran Huseynova of the State Committee for Family, Women and Children’s Affairs.  

The President received Deputy Secretary-General on Monday afternoon.  During the meeting, the Head of State emphasized the importance of the gender conference, expressing hope the event would have a positive impact on the process of promoting gender equality in all participating countries, including Azerbaijan.

Ms. Migiro has also met UN staff representing UN agencies based in Baku and highlighted the UN reform process, from the perspective of the progress made over the last years and the priorities set for the future, as well as the progress made towards achieving the MDGs.
This is a second visit paid to Azerbaijan by a UN dignitary since 1994 when the former Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali officially launched the UN House in Baku.

Dr. Asha-Rose Migiro of Tanzania took office as Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations on 1 February 2007. She is the third Deputy Secretary-General to be appointed since the post was established in 1997.  Dr. Migiro is both the highest ranking woman in UN history and the highest ranking woman from the developing world in the UN system.  Dr. Migiro rose from academia (she has a PHD in Law) to government service in her native Tanzania. Prior to her appointment at the UN, she served as Tanzania's foreign minister.


/Today.Az/

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