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"Doing Right is Doing Smart"

Joint NGO Statement

Gender Equality and Sustainable Development

New York, March 1, 2011

As Einstein once said: “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it”

You, Me, all of us in this room here today need to realize that we are dependent on each other for a sustainable and just World!!

It is agreed by the World Community, that gender equality is crucial to the achievement of socially, economically and environmentally sustainable forms of development.

We urge member states to partner with civil society and private sector, nationally and internationally. Collaboration between these parties and governments is imperative to protect OUR global public goods.

Global Public Goods include:

- a clean and healthy environment;

- Food stability;

- a Global justice system;

- Economic and financial stability;

- Safety and security

It is a necessity that women equally participate as decision makers at all levels – within governments, civil society and the private sector- to protect these Global Public Goods.

Governments have the potential to create a supportive policy framework to stimulate the private sector to invest in gender equality. This is imperative to a true Green Economy, which is a necessity for us all and generations to come.

We recommend:

  1. equal representation of women and young people at all levels;
  2. governments to partner with businesses and multinationals, and to use policy instruments to commit the private sector to gender equality and sustainable development;
  3. governments to actively engage civil society as an indispensable partner.

As Ban Ki-moon stated at the launch of UN Women: “To invest in women is the right thing to do, it is also a smart thing to do.”

Thank you for your attention,

Rineke van Dam, Junior representative of WO=MEN Dutch Gender Platform

Signatures:

WO=MEN Dutch Gender Platform, E-Quality, WIDE Network, International Alliance of Women, CHOICE for Youth and Sexuality, AMREF Flying Doctors, Vrouwenbelangen

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