site.btaSofia Hosts Global Women Leaders' Forum

Sofia Hosts Global Women Leaders' Forum

Sofia, May 19 (BTA) - UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova and President Rosen Plevneliev opened a Global Women Leaders' Forum in Sofia on Wednesday evening. The forum will continue until May 20.

"We must raise women leaders," said Bokova during the opening. Inequality between men and women is the main obstacle for achieving true progress in many countries across the world. Often this inequality destroys the fabric of all of society, the UNESCO Director-General added.

According to her, one of the forum's main messages is that girls must start to be educated so that they are given the opportunity to become leaders in science, business and politics. Only 60 per cent of countries have achieved equality in primary education and 38 per cent in secondary. Some 62 million girls are still deprived of the right to primary education, Bokova noted.

She recalled that a high number of girls from too many countries drop out of school because they are forced to work or marry. There are ways to deal with this challenge, Bokova said, adding that this requires joint actions and political will.

The UNESCO head praised the work of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, adding that the South Asian country has achieved remarkable successes and serves as an example among many developing countries on how to reduce poverty, achieve gender equality and education.

Bokova noted that women's rights and gender equality are included in the UN's 2030 sustainable development agenda.

Gender equality is not just a basic human right, but a condition for creating sustainable and peaceful societies across the world, said President Plevneliev during the forum's opening.

"We are presently going through difficult times, marked by a record-high number of crises, insecurity, global turbulences," the President noted. "We continue witnessing human rights violations daily and we must act, rethink our policies, unite and give a clear answer and working solutions to the contemporary challenges," he said.

Plevneliev said that Bulgaria has actively assisted in the development of the UN's new 2030 agenda for global sustainable development. He listed this country's achievements regarding gender equality. The President further noted that Bulgaria has sent a very strong signal with the adoption of the Gender Equality Act, and that this legislation ensures integration and equality on all levels.