UN stresses development goals in marking International Women's Day

Recognizing the critical role played by women in countries' progress, various United Nations bodies today placed the UN Millennium Development Goals at the centre of discussions held to observe International Women's Day.

"There is no time to lose if we are to reach the Millennium Development Goals by the target date of 2015. Only by investing in the world's women can we expect to get there," Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette stressed during the opening of an event held at the UN Headquarters in New York.

The event, entitled "Gender Equality and the Millennium Development Goals," featured several senior UN officials and other experts on development and women's rights.

In September 2000, UN Member States endorsed the Millennium Development Goals - a set of time-bound and measurable targets that aim to fight poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation and discrimination against women.

To mark the Day, traditionally observed on 8 March, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) pointed out that two of the Millennium Goals explicitly call for gender equality and better maternal health. Yet despite the political commitment, some 1,400 girls and women die each day from causes related to childbirth.

"The same number died yesterday, and the same number will die tomorrow - most of them in silence," UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy said. "We're here to say that in this era, no woman should have to struggle for equality and respect."

Adding to the voices supporting the involvement of the women in development, a message from the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) stated that HIV/AIDS interventions have worked where women participated in decision-making and managing health services.

"We have waited too long. Today, we are reminded that AIDS has a woman's face," UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot said. "Let us use International Women's Day as a starting point to stop the waiting, and put our knowledge into action now."

Meanwhile, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is organizing a series of events throughout this month to commemorate the Day, including two art exhibitions, a discussion forum on breast cancer and the screening of a documentary that presents portraits of women from around the globe.