Skip to content
Call Us Today! 212-533-4646 | MON-FRI 12PM - 4PM (EST)
DONATE
SUBSCRIBE
Search for:
About Us
Publications
FAQ
Annual Report 2023
Annual Report 2022
Annual Report 2021
Initiatives
Advocate
Educate
Cultivate
Care
News
Newsletters
Sign Up For Our Newsletter
Join UNWLA
Become a Member
Volunteer With Us
Donate to UNWLA
Members Portal
Calendar
Shop to Support Ukraine
Search for:
Print
Print Page
Download
Download Page
Download Right Page
Open
1
2-3
4-5
6-7
8-9
10-11
12-13
14-15
16-17
18-19
20-21
22-23
24-25
26-27
28-29
30-31
32-33
34-35
36-37
38-39
40
US CALLS ON UN TO FOCUS ON WOMEN’S ISSUES (1,300) (Excerpts: Juliette McLennan at General Assembly) UNITED NATIONS — Women’s rights and their role in economic life must be treated in economic develop ment discussions throughout the United Nations sys tem, says a US representative on women’s issues. Juliette McLennan, US representative to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, spoke at a UN General Assembly committee meeting in New York November 1. She urged the commission of which she is a member to focus on practical problems such as illiteracy, inade quate health care and violence against women when it holds its annual meeting in Vienna beginning February 26, 1990. Following are excerpts from McLennan’s statement: The Nairobi foward-looking strategies and the prior ity themes for 1990 have an underlying message. Before women can achieve equality, development, and peace, society must have choices available; and women must have equal power to make those choices. Women must have the legal right and the opportunity to participate in politics and in other decision-making roles; and they must be aware of those rights in order to claim them. In 1920, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States gave women the right to vote. Although this amendment did not end discrimination against women, it did provide us with a voice. The more women who hold public office, the more responsive our political institutions will be to the necessary reforms that en courage equality of the sexes. In our federal government, women hold two seats in the Senate, and 27 in the House of Representatives. In our state governments, women hold almost 16 percent of all seats, a figure that is four times greater than it was 20 years ago. And, women hold 12 percent of statewide elective offices. Although we have come a long way since the 19th Amendment was passed, we must not be content with our progress. We must continue to make inroads in achieving equality in political participation and decision-making. While political rights are a necessary step in ensur ing equal participation of women, they are not enough. No matter what stage of development a country is in, education is the key factor in every economic and social activity. Better education leads to better opportunities. Two-thirds of the illiterate persons in the world are women. In 1985, there were 500 million women who were unable to read or write. Only with education can we break the cycle of women’s exclusion from being equal partners and beneficiaries of all that is due them. All women must be literate in order for them to have the ability to access information that will help them and their families. Throughout the world, women run 70 percent of all microenterprises. Women perform 60 percent of food production, processing, and marketing. Women’s access to credit, to capital, and their right to own private prop erty are tools to ensuring their partnership in the fruits of economic development. In many countries, women play an important role in commerce. However, there is much more that must be done. Economic development begins with a set of motivations that are concretely expressed in the right to own property and the ability of individuals to enjoy the fruits of their labor regardless of their gender. Government has a legitimate role to play in fostering the economic developing of women by pro tecting their economic, political and social rights.... In the United States, our Agency for International Development (USAID) has been a pioneer in recogniz ing the role of women in development. Since 1974, USAID has had an office to cooridinate the integration of women in development. Its policy is predicated on the belief that this is an issue not solely of equity, but of overriding economic efficiency. Development which does not benefit all sectors of society is failed development. This policy governs all our development assistance programs. USAID has recognized the important contributions women entrepreneurs can make to economic growth, when they have access to the resources to do so. It has identified women-owned and — operated enterprises as an important group that should be given access to at least 50 percent of the micro-enterprise assistance re sources in credit, technical support, and training. Likewise, the United States is committed to the integration of women in the economic development process. In 1988, my government passed into law the Women’s Business Ownership Act, which authorized the establishment of long-term training and counseling centers for women business owners. Thirty percent of small businesses in the United States are owned by women, 46 percent of the American workforce is women; and women are opening small businesses at one and one-half times the rate of men. As we have said on many occasions, the United States believes that women’s issues deserve a high priority within the entire UN system. The problems associated with the development process should have the highest priority. Most of the world’s women live in developing countries. While women in all countries, including mine, face numerous problems particular to Видання C оюзу Українок A мерики - перевидано в електронному форматі в 2012 році . A рхів C У A - Ню Йорк , Н . Й . C Ш A.
Page load link
Go to Top