Kadaga in New York for UN status of women meeting

Mar 13, 2018

In her opening remarks, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women said millions of women and girls across the world in rural areas provide unpaid care in their homes...

Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga, Minister Janat Mukwaya and Adonia Ayebare, Uganda's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations. Courtesy/ photo.

The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadga, is in New York for the 62nd session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW62), the UN's largest gathering on gender equality, taking place at the United Nations Headquarters from March 12 - 23, 2018.


Gender, labour and social development minister, Janat Mukwaya, led the Ugandan delegation to a meeting that will focus on the theme, "Challenges and opportunities in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls."

The Commission is one of the largest annual gathering of global leaders, NGOs, private sector actors, United Nations partners and activists from around the world focusing on the status of rights and empowerment of all women and girls, everywhere.

In her opening remarks, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women said millions of women and girls across the world in rural areas provide unpaid care in their homes, nurturing their families, but losing opportunities for their own growth.

"It speaks to our commitment to fight some of the biggest challenges of our time: poverty, inequality, inter-sectionality and an end to violence and discrimination against women and girls, no matter where they live, or how they live, so that we ‘leave no one behind'," she said.

Phumzile noted that half of all rural poor women in developing countries have no basic literacy, and 15 million girls of primary-school age will never get the chance to learn to read or write in primary school.

"A rural girl is twice as likely to be married as a child compared to her urban counterpart. Without adequate education and knowledge, her authority and ability to control her life and escape from violence are critically diminished," Phumzile added.

For far too long, rural women's and girls' rights, livelihoods and wellbeing have been overlooked or insufficiently addressed in laws, policies, budgets and investments.

They lack infrastructure and services, decent work and social protection, and are left more vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Gender-based violence and harmful practices continue to limit their lives and opportunities.

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