More needs to be done to empower women: UN official
December 16th, 2011 - 11:24 pm ICT by IANSNew Delhi, Dec 16 (IANS) Women should be given more opportunity in the politics and in economic fields as this is one of the ways to attain gender equality, a UN official said Friday.
Interacting with reporters here, Noeleen Heyzer, executive secretary of the United Nations, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), said the work relating to gender equality was only “half-done” and more needed to be done to achieve a society where both men and women were treated equally.
Appreciating the legislation which provides 50 percent seats in panchayats for women, Heyzer said these kind of measures will help women assume leadership.
Taking on a question on the anti-corruption agitation in India, Heyzer said: “First, it is essential to have a legislation to curb corruption, and implementation comes only in the next stage.”
The United Nations Asia-Pacific development arm has opened a new office in the capital for improved support to the region that has one of the largest concentrations of poverty-stricken people.
The New Delhi office will cover Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Turkey.
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Tags: afghanistan, agitation, asia pacific, bangladesh, bhutan, corruption, development arm, economic fields, escap, executive secretary, gender equality, legislation, maldives, men and women, nepal, new delhi office, pakistan, panchayats, poverty, united nations