Posted Date: May 20, 2000
United Nations Ceremony Celebrates International Women's Lives
United Nations Ceremony Celebrates International Women's Lives
"This year, it is perhaps more important than ever to show that we mean business." In his opening remarks at a ceremony marking the celebration of International Women's Day, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan pushed for a rededication "to eliminating the discrimination and disadvantage to which women are still subjected." On March 4th, he and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton came together at the UN Headquarters to celebrate the last International Women's Day of the twentieth century. Both agreed that while many advances for women have been made in the past one hundred years, challenges still remain.
Stating that "women are half of humankind," Annan addressed the need to improve all aspects of women's lives, including education, employment, health care, and leadership opportunities. According to Annan, there is not a single issue dealt with by the UN that is not a women's issue. "Women are every bit as much affected as any man by peace and security, by human security and by human rights." The Secretary-General proposed that women not be "pigeon-holed" and considered more useful in one position than in another. He expanded by saying that he is "troubled" to hear about "women 'enriching' or 'bringing a human touch'" to the work of the UN because this portrays a woman as an "incidental ornament to the main machinery" and further, implies that men are incapable of showing a human face. "Women are not the feel-good factors of international affairs."
Believing strongly that the UN must serve as a model for other organizations, Annan announced that the United Nations will begin voluntarily deducting child support payments from the salaries of staff members who are in default on court-ordered arrangements. In closing, the Secretary-General referred to a thought-provoking book written over thirty years ago about the UN, entitled People in Glass Houses. He agreed with the author that the UN system does live in a "glass house," but he committed himself to "not letting people in this glass house become people under a glass ceiling."
Mrs. Clinton followed Annan's remarks, calling his words "a combination of inspiration and education and down-to-earth practical advise." The First Lady underscored the enormous gains that have been made in women and girls' education, health care, economic independence, and leadership roles. She pointed to the significant impact that the government commitments made at UN social conferences, the work of UNIFEM, and the Vital Voices campaign -- which is supported by the US Government - have had on the lives of women around the world.
The First Lady emphasized to the fact that women make up half of the world's population by using a slogan she first learned in preparation for the UN Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing: "Women hold up half of the sky." In the upcoming century, she argued, the world must come to realize that "women cannot hold up half of the sky if they are robbed of the education they deserve,…if they don't have access to the credit, the loans and the jobs that they need,…if they are victims of abuse…if they are denied their basic legal rights."
Last year, the UN Secretary-General, the First Lady, and the President presented their observations at a similar event held at the White House. There, Annan stated, "Women's rights are not something to be given or taken away by the government like a subsidy…the oppression of women, from discrimination to death, is the oppression of humanity." Government delegates and NGO representatives, including InterAction members, who were present at this year's event were pleased to see that these issues remain a priority.
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