Statement at the Commission on the Status of Women

Message of Thoraya Ahmed Obaid--26 February 2007

It is my pleasure to address the opening of this fifty-first session of the Commission on the Status of Women, especially in the presence of the Deputy Secretary-General, with whom we senior officials of the United Nations, commit ourselves to work to ensure that all of us are held accountable for our gender goals.

I would first like to congratulate my colleagues in United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), led by Ann Veneman, for The State of the World's Children 2007: Women and Children - The Double Dividend of Gender Equality. The title says it all: if we invest in women, we are also investing in children, especially the girl child. And if we invest in the girl child, we are investing in the mother and citizen of tomorrow. Investing in women and girls is one of the best investments a government can make.

LINK: Read complete statement here