Men must be mobilized in struggle for gender equality, UN commission agrees

The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women has wrapped up its annual session with broad agreement on the need to involve men in the struggle for gender equality.

At the close of its two-week session on Friday, the 45-member panel adopted an informal paper synthesizing the conclusions of discussions on the issue, which concluded that real change requires overcoming stereotypical attitudes which inhibit women's advancement and impede efforts to achieve gender equality.

Also on Friday, the Commission adopted a resolution calling for a broad fight against HIV/AIDS by empowering women and strengthening their economic independence while protecting their rights. The text urged governments to expand access to treatment, including antiretroviral medication, and to promote the availability of low-cost effective drugs.

On the UN's own policies, the Commission passed a separate measure expressing concern over remaining constraints on the full implementation of gender mainstreaming, including inadequate support for strategies aimed at promoting equality between men and women.