Chairman of Liberal International’s Human Rights Committee and Vice-President on the Bureau, Markus Löning, has marked International Women’s Day by calling for global action on gender equality and women’s empowerment:
#MakeItHappen is the theme of International Women’s Day this year and I am proud that, despite the enormous challenges we face in many parts of the world, it is the liberals who have been leading the fight for gender equality!
The Prime Minister of Iceland Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson from LI full-member the Progressive Partyhosted the first HeForShe intergovernmental conference at the United Nations. This year LI awarded its highest human rights prize, the Prize for Freedom, to Waris Dirie for fighting to eliminate female genital mutilation (FGM) practices. Just weeks ago LI backed Iranian journalist, Masih Alinejad, in her struggle to empower women in Iran. This week, the Mongolian Minister for the Environment and President of the UN Environmental Assembly, Dr. Oyun Sanjaasuren (Civil Will Green Party, LI full-member), received the Women’s Democracy Network Award for promoting women in politics. And, next week, LI will champion the global women’s rights framework as it seeks to promote the globalisation of the Istanbul Convention at the 59th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women in New York.
As liberals we don’t just speak about the promotion and advancement of women’s right: we deliver!
However, there is still much to be done. As long as global extremist ideological groups, from Boko Haram to Da’esh, continue to massacre people with callous impunity we will continue the battle for justice and equality.
Women and girls are often the forgotten victims of armed conflict around the globe. The number of women and girls that have been subject to rape, murder, abduction and slavery has risen sharply over the last 12 months. The world community must step up its efforts to protect women and girls considerably in this coming year: from eradicating gender-based violence and inhumane practices like FGM to giving girls equal access to education and health services.
The leader of the DPP (LI full member, Taiwan) Dr. Tsai Ing-Wen has also commemorated the daystressing on the need for women to drive change around the world:
When we talk about women, it is no longer enough to see ourselves as a continuation of the old way of doing things. Instead, as women, we should start seeing ourselves as the agents of change for a new generation. We should seek new and innovative ways of finding opportunities and finding solutions to problem.
