Drawing on the leading role liberals continue to play in promoting women’s rights worldwide, LI Vice-President on the Bureau, Cecilia Wikström MEP, has addressed the ALDE Party Conference on gender equality in Vienna today.

Speaking via video message, Wikström emphasised that gender equality is a core value for liberals everywhere, noting that Liberal International is the only political international with a standing Human Rights Committee (HRC) which places the advancement of women’s rights at its core.

Addressing the latest campaign of LI HRC, which aims to extend the Istanbul Convention beyond the borders of Europe, Wikstrom said:

The Istanbul Convention is currently the most far-reaching international instrument on women’s rights addressing violence against women both as a form of discrimination and as a human rights violation. Together I hope that we liberal Europeans can join forces with liberals across the world in promoting the universal adoption of the Istanbul Convention as a first step.

According to the latest gender equality survey conducted by the World Economic Forum 5 liberal governments have made the top 10 worldwide list for gender egalitarianism.

Wikström also spoke of the challenges liberals face along the way:

Together in the international liberal movement we can and we will change the world for the better because even though there may be momentary setbacks there is no turning back the clocks on such a fundamental value as the right of women and girls to enjoy exactly the same rights and opportunities as boys and men

LI has been vocal on issues such as female political participation, elimination and prevention of violence against women and equal access to education for all women and girls on numerous occasions throughout the past 3 years most recently at the UN Human Rights Council.

– Watch LI Vice President, Cecilia Wikström MEP’s, video message to the ALDE Party Conference on gender equality.