UN calls national governments to increase financing and promotion of gender equality

Almaty. March 7. Kazakhstan Today - On the occasion of the International Women's day 2008 the United Nations Organization (UN) calls the national governments and partners "to pay attention to women and girls by increasing financial investments and advancing gender equality at all levels - global, regional and national, the agency reports referring to the message of UNESCO in Almaty.

"Promotion of gender equality in developing countries has received very small proportion in official strategy of rendering assistance (ODA) for the last decades, despite of proof that global struggle against poverty is impossible without achievement of gender equality. Even after inclusion of gender equality and promotion of women as one of eight objectives of development of the millennium, financing remains inadequate and even has been reduced for the last years.

According to the UN report, "achievement of objectives of millennium development by 2015 will demand additional resources - nearly 25 - 28 bln for the low income countries," the message states.

Gender equality has been defined as one of the global priorities of UNESCO in the middle-term strategy for 2008 - 2013, and this priority is being already realized in practice in the program and the budget for 2008 - 2009.

"Reductions in expenses for social needs influence more women, especially poor, than men: girls do not go to schools, young women are more subject to risk of HIV-infection, and women of different ages become objects of various forms of violence. Investing in educational, social, economic and professional opportunities for women, aspiration to gender equality is not another thesis. This is the cause of justice and human rights, imperative for development of the highest order," UN emphasized.

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