UN Women Executive Director’s video message for the 6th World Women University Presidents Forum, Beijing, China 6-8 September 2014
Date:
Presidents, Excellencies, colleagues, and friends.
Nineteen years ago, world leaders, civil society representatives gathered in Beijing and adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
It remains the pre-eminent global roadmap to gender equality and the empowerment of women.
The Platform states that “Equality of access to and attainment of educational qualifications is necessary if more women are to become agents of change.”
Your presence in Beijing today, as women leaders in education, is testament to the significance of that vision.
Next year we will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Under the banner of “Empowering Women, Empowering Humanity: Picture It!” UN Women is encouraging the people of the world to visualize and strive for a world in which men and women are equal.
During your deliberations, take a moment to picture a world in which all women and girls – no matter their background, their age, or where they live, have access to a quality education.
As leaders in the field, your work can make that vision a reality.
I thank you, and I wish you a successful forum.