The Regional Consultation for Latin America and the Caribbean calls include gender equality in the development agenda Post 2015
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The ministers and senior officials responsible for public policy in favor of the rights and empowerment of women and girls in Latin America and the Caribbean, met on 6 and 7 February in Mexico City, as part of the Regional Consultation prior the 58th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women United Nations (CSW, for its acronym in English). The priority theme of the meeting, to be held next March, will be "Challenges and achievements in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for women and girls".
This regional consultation was held at the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico and the National Women's Institute of Mexico, with the support of UN Women, the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the empowerment of women.
After the meeting, the ministers and authorities present adopted the Declaration of Mexico, which calls to take a transformer and integral objective of gender equality, along with the incorporation of the gender perspective in all other goals, targets and indicators new Post 2015 Development Agenda.
"Gender equality and the empowerment of women is a goal in itself, "said Jose Antonio Meade Kuribreña, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico". Just reach to be modern and democratic societies that fully leverage the talents and contributions of all its people, regardless of gender. To promote respect for the rights of women, to promote and expand their ability to grow and develop, we are also driving the development of our countries.
For his part, John Hendra, Deputy Executive Director of UN Women, spoke about the inequalities affecting the region: "As we know, the MDGs have made a significant contribution to development and poverty reduction since its formulation in 2000. However, there can´t be doubt that inequality, especially gender inequality and discrimination against women and girls, impedes progress toward achieving all development goals".
"We are at a crucial to demonstrate, more powerfully than ever, that gender equality is essential to achieving development goals we have set time", said Moni Pizani, UN Women Regional Director for the Americas and the Caribbean. "I have no doubt that, once again, this region will play an active and constructive role in ensuring a strong and unequivocal conclusions agreed at CSW 58. Is women's time is the time in Latin America. Demonstrate that the time has also come of substantive equality".
Civil society also took an active part in the discussions and made their contributions to the Declaration. The meeting in Mexico attended by representatives of organizations and networks of women and feminists of various countries on behalf of various sectors and regional networks. The consultations included a specific session to pick up the voices and demands of civil society in the face of CSW 58.
The next session of the CSW will be an opportunity to review the achievements and challenges of adopting the MDGs in 2000 and to achieve substantive equality between men and women, as well as to influence the discussions taking developing national, regional and global levels on the Post 2015 Development Agenda.