PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes:
General Women, Peace and Security
"Laws are important, but they're not sufficient because often traditions are stronger than the implementation of laws." That's what the head of the UN Population Fund Thoraya Ahmed Obaid told a televised debate at UN Headquarters in New York on the role of culture in promoting the empowerment of women and upholding human rights. She said "culture is about ownership of change, ownership of how we live:
"And therefore engaging communities so they can bring the change themselves is a very critical part of development. No change can come from the outside. The second point is that laws - human rights laws are made at the national level of any country, but abuses of human rights are at the community and in the family. And there is a gap. Laws are important but they are not sufficient because often, traditions are stronger than the implementation of laws. And therefore, we need to work with communities in order to promote the human rights."Ms. Thoraya Obaid explained the value that culture puts on the status of women.
And she asked: "If women do not have such basic rights as maternal rights and reproductive health, how can they have a say in their own destiny?Panellists including UNESCO's Chief Irina Bokova, activists and academics debated the relationship between culture and the status of women, examining how the economic, political and social paradigms affect the empowerment of women.The debate came as the UN Economic and Social Council meets in New York to push for women and girls to be at the forefront of efforts to achieve development targets.
