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INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION OF WOMEN HAILS WOMEN OF THE AMERICAS DAY

The following message was issued by the President of the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM), Yadira Henríquez, to mark Wednesday, February 18 as Women of the Americas Day and the 76th anniversary of the Commission:

“ The celebration of the Day of the Women of the Americas and of another anniversary of the establishment of the CIM provide an excellent opportunity for reviewing the accomplishments of the past year, drawing strength from its achievements, and gearing up to turn policies into realities.

“For the CIM, the past year has been particularly productive. Today, we can attest, with considerable enthusiasm, that our governments, as well as the OAS, have more emphatically asserted the importance of integrating the gender perspective into the implementation of their policies and programs. This joint effort by member states and the OAS was recently reaffirmed in the Declaration of Nuevo Leon, adopted at the Special Summit of the Americas, which reiterated that “the empowerment of women, their full and equal participation in the development of our societies, and their equal opportunities to exercise leadership are fundamental for the reduction of poverty, the promotion of economic and social prosperity, and for people-centered sustainable development.” It also reiterated the commitment of the Heads of State and Government to “continue promoting gender equality and equity and the mandates of the Summits of the Americas on this matter.”

“The CIM has established an important track record in striving to enhance the quality of life for women, to achieve gender equity and equality, and, to continue to foster implementation of the Inter-American Program on the Promotion of Women’s Human Rights and Gender Equity and Equality (IAP). Within this context, it has helped to develop training courses for OAS personnel that have increased awareness of the importance of incorporating the gender perspective in the projects and programs undertaken at the OAS. That was just a first step in raising the awareness of the importance of gender equity and equality within the OAS. Another significant step was taken with the meetings of experts that enabled us to reach out to the ministries of justice, education, and labor with recommendations that draw special attention to aspects of gender that have not yet been fully incorporated into national policies.

“In the area of human rights, the governments of the Americas have reacted favorably to the initiatives of the Assembly of Delegates of the CIM. On the one hand, a start has been made on analysis of the best ways to monitor the implementation of the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women. At the same time, the CIM has continued work on the regional project, The Trafficking of Women, Children and Adolescents in the Americas, drawing attention to a particularly heinous violation of human rights. These initiatives have also been considered and supported already by the OAS General Assembly, another sign of commitment to forge ahead with the defense of women’s rights in the Hemisphere.

“So may this day be one of reflection for all men and women, and a symbol of the efforts undertaken by all the women and men of the Americas to build truly equitable, democratic, and thriving societies.”

Reference: E-023/04