IWD 2006 media | PNG

More calls for women in decision-making
The National, PNG

THERE were renewed calls for greater involvement of women in decision-making at all levels of society as women joined the celebrations for International Women’s Day yesterday.
UNFPA executive director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid made the call to the heads of Government, the United Nations and down to the basic unit of society, the family, and in matters related to their own lives.
Ms Obaid said research showed that while much progress was made, millions of women were still denied the opportunity to make even the most basic decisions about marriage and childbearing.
At last September’s World Summit, leaders agreed to achieve universal access to reproductive health by 2015 as critical for the attainment of gender equality and other Millennium Development Goals to improve maternal health, reduce child mortality and poverty and combat HIV/AIDS.
Ms Obaid said gender equality should be inscribed into national law and translated into investments in national budgets.
She said UNFPA was committed to promoting sexual and reproductive health, women’s empowerment, male involvement and responsibility, and gender equality.