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“НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, ГРУДЕНЬ 2010 23 Text of ICW UN - New York Liaison Iryna Kurowyckyj’s report, presented at Regional Council of Americas in Guatemala. October 2010 Dear Ladies, I would like to thank the President of ARC and the whole committee for hosting this distinguished gathering. I am honored to be here. Very soon, the International Council of Women (ICW) and women from all over the world will turn their attention to issues of interest to women at the 55th Commission on the Status (CSD) of Women. The topic s to be discussed, including access to and participation of women and girls in education, training in science and technology, and the promotion of women’s equal access to full employment and decent work continue to be very relevant in today’s economic envi ronment. Since the inception of the ICW, these issues have been addressed in many statements throughout the years and were directed to the respective governments of ICW members and affiliates. At first, these topics were presented to the League of Nations . Now, they are brought before the United Nations. Yet the passage of time has not erased the gap between men and women in education and employment opportunities. This gap is still tremendous and it exists especially in the arena of technology and science, where women are represented by a very small minority. Unequal access to technology and related curriculum, from the early years of a girl’s life, creates an ongoing disadvantage. Very little is happening to interest children, especially girls, in these fi elds even though science and technology have become the fastest growing fields in global job markets. At the 55th CSD we must press governments to act now. The train is moving fast and, if we are not on it, we will miss a critical opportunity to help our c hildren, especially girls, during our lifetime. We must not let this happen. The document from the 4th UN Conferences on Women to MDG addressed all of these issues. It is therefore astonishing that is taking men so long to realize t hat women live longer, c omprise more than half of the world’s population, and that it is important and logical that women have access to and be part of the findings and decisions governing scientific and technological advances. We, as women, must look for technologies that help make our future a sustainable one. Many of these technologies that are relevant to this are in the infant stages of development and have not yet been fully integrated into commercial use because of potential flaws or problems associated with them. This fac t alone makes it so much more important that we be a part of the group making decisions about the future. Research is currently being conducted to correct these flaws and eliminate these problems, to make these technologies more cost efficient, achieve zer o or near - zero emissions, and produce enough energy to sustain the world’s growing population. All of these goals can be met by women as well as by men — if women are given the opportunity to pursue them. With this in mind, we must urge all governments to p romote the development of science and technology and especially to provide an equal opportunity for girls and women to participate and excel in these fields. Allow me to cite one example of the benefits of adopting this policy. The example involves cell p hones, which are commonplace in developed countries and are used daily without gender distinction. Recently, women in one African country were given access to this technology. Because of this, the women were able to communicate with each other and with oth ers invo lved in selling or buying crops; they were able to bring their crops in time to sell them at the best price. According to the Economist magazine, this modest technology played a key role by providing crucial information — the best time to move produc ts and thus protect their interests. This one example shows that even women in rural areas can benefit from access to new technologies. Hopefully, the future will be filled with such stories as women are given more and more access to education and technolo gy that can help them grow, solve problems, and create solutions for the 21 st century by using 21 st century knowledge and tools. Thank you. Iryna Kurowyckyj , ICW UN - New York Liaison
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