Secretary-General, at New York March, Calls for Strong Global Action to Achieve Gender Equality, Citing Slow Progress in Implementing Beijing Declaration

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks at the march for gender equality and women’s rights, in New York on 8 March:

Fellow citizens, fellow marchers, thank you for your strong commitment to gender equality!  We need global action.  Thank you for your strong support.  Let me say a special thank you to all of you who are standing shoulder to shoulder to demonstrate our strong commitment and solidarity.  I’m very grateful, as Secretary-General.

I’m asking that all the women — they must be at the front and centre of our world.  When we are working for peace, when we are working for development — who will do this?  That is us — human beings.

When you hold back half of our population, we cannot realize 100 per cent of our potential.  We have to fully respect and use the potential of all of our women.  That’s what the United Nations is taking this as the number one priority.  It has been 20 years since the Beijing Declaration.  Progress has been too slow, uneven.  Now, we are aiming, by 2030, 50/50 — that’s our target.  We must make it happen.  Let’s work to make it happen!

Thank you for your strong commitment.  Let’s work together to make this world better for all, to make this a world for dignity for all, including all our women citizens.