CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE: Deputy Secretary-General Encourages Azerbaijan to Advance Gender Equality

“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 took 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 especially 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 impor-tant for us that the government is acting and that people are proactive, but it is also necessary to engage civil society organiza-tions 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.