Secretary
Hillary Clinton came here last November to underscore
the commitment of the United States government to the
people of Papua New Guinea and the South Pacific region.
She recognized the critical importance of investing in
women and girls and announced that a Pacific Women’s
Empowerment Initiative policy dialogue would take place
in PNG. She also announced that I would come. So here am
I and all of you! I want to extend a very special
welcome to each and every one of you. You come from 15
countries, and you represent government, business, and
civil society. You are all leaders and experts in your
field.
Today we begin a
journey together for “healthy women and healthy
economies” in the South Pacific region. Together, we
will develop effective programs and policy
recommendations, and together we will continue the hard
work of implementing the efforts that begin here and
build on what so many of you have done over the years.
So many people
brought us to this day. It took a village!
I want to thank
our co-hosts. The government of PNG joined with the U.S.
government and the World Bank to lead this policy
dialogue. I want to thank especially Dame Carol Kidu for
her inspired leadership and commitment and for the work
of her colleagues. I also want to thank the World Bank
and IFC -- and especially Laura Bailey and Carolyn
Blacklock. This project has also had the strongest
commitment from the U.S. government, especially the
Office of Global Women’s Issues. I want to thank our
embassy staff here in PNG and those coming from Manila
and Suva for their on-the-ground assistance. And I want
to thank Ambassador Taylor for his leadership and for
hosting the reception last night and CDC and USAID for
joining us here today. I also want to acknowledge the
presence of the Asian Development Bank, the UN, the
Secretariat of the Pacific Community and Pacific Islands
Forum.
The
recommendations of this policy dialogue will be
supported in the months ahead by an array of programs
that will further our work together. The United States –
through the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy,
Human Rights and Labor – will underwrite an initiative
through the International Foundation for Electoral
Systems to further the political participation of women
in PNG and the Solomon Islands. It will train women for
effective advocacy with their governments.
During Secretary
Clinton’s trip here and to Australia and New Zealand,
she and her counterparts announced additional new
support. The U.S. and Australia will collaborate with
the World Bank to co-host a policy dialogue in Australia
on effective means to combat gender-based violence and
promote women’s empowerment in the South Pacific in
Canberra in November. In February, the New Zealand
government hosted a policy dialogue and, as a result,
New Zealand has agreed to support Vital Voices to
conduct a leadership training to strengthen women’s
political participation and empowerment. It will take
place in Vanuatu in August. We hope that some of you
will join as mentors.
In addition, we
are so pleased to see that the government of Australia
announced a grant to the GSM Association to support the
mWomen initiative to increase women’s access to mobile
technology in the Pacific region. This builds on the
U.S. commitment to close the gender gap in mobile
technology made by Secretary Clinton last year.
Much progress
has been made on behalf of women and girls, thanks to
the hard work and commitment of so many citizens and
government leaders – thanks to all of you. Effective
partnerships have been forged among donor governments,
the UN and other multilateral agencies, the private
sector and NGOs. We know that when women make progress,
everyone makes progress -- all of society benefits.
Today, there are
many converging studies from the World Bank to the World
Economic Forum showing that investing in women is a high
yield investment. Data show that development investments
in women and girls correlate positively with poverty
alleviation, better health, and a country’s general
prosperity. Educating a girl is the simple most
effective development investment that can be made with
high yield dividends for her and her future family.
In countries
where men and women are closer to being equal in
economic participation, political empowerment, access to
education and health survivability, these countries
enjoy greater prosperity and economic growth. Simply put
– no country can get ahead if half its people are left
behind. Gender equality is a key condition for a
country’s prosperity.
We know that
when women bring their talents, perspectives and
experiences to bear in the political arena, they are far
more likely to invest in the public good. The number of
women serving on village and city councils in India (the
panchayets) – as a result of the quota adopted by the
Indian parliament – are a well-documented case of the
difference women are making in elected office. The women
are investing in safe drinking water, education,
sanitation and other community needs. We also know that
as women’s participation in parliament goes up,
corruption goes down. Yet women are still significantly
out-numbered in the parliaments, provincial councils,
local governments, and ministries around the world. The
South Pacific region has extremely low levels of
representation of women in government decision making.
Together we must make greater progress in advancing
women in politics. There is no shortage of talent, but
women’s opportunities in politics are too often
circumscribed. Democracy without the participation of
women is a contradiction in terms.
Gender equality
is also smart economics. Women are too often
under-represented in the workforce. Women as
entrepreneurs running small- and medium- sized
enterprises (SMEs) offer so much promise. It is a fact
that women-run SMEs drive economic growth and create
jobs. Moreover, women’s work has a multiplier effect
because women invest most of their income in their
families and communities – in what makes for better
societies. Yet women face barriers that hinder their
ability to start or expand businesses. They often
confront lack of training and mentors, access to finance
and markets. They confront discriminatory laws,
regulations or customs, and lack of land rights.
Financial inclusion – the full range of services of
credit, savings, and insurance are critical elements for
women’s economic progress and must be supported.
According to a
UN study, it is estimated that the Asia Pacific region
is shortchanged between 42 and 47 billion dollars a year
in GDP because of the untapped potential of women.
Women’s contributions to the formal and informal economy
are not to be under-estimated. Together we must make
greater progress in ensuring women’s economic
participation.
Women’s health
is important for her and for her family’s well being,
yet women so often put themselves last in addressing
their own health care needs. Available statistics for
the region show that women are dying prematurely from
natural health causes as well as from infections and
pregnancy and childbirth-related complications. The
Millennium Development Goals that address ending
maternal mortality and child mortality are significantly
behind their targets, yet we know from the decreases
that have taken place over the last decade that progress
is possible. Voluntary family planning is one of the
most effective public health interventions and prevents
both maternal and child deaths. Government officials
need to recognize its importance and the health care
priority that women represent. There is much that needs
to be done if we are to see progress on women’s health.
Violence against
women is a global epidemic and we know from studies that
this region has among the highest rates of domestic
violence in the world. This is not a private family
matter, nor can it be dismissed as cultural.
Gender-based violence is criminal and needs to be
prosecuted. It also means that police and judges need to
be trained, laws need to be implemented and enforced and
programs need to be put in place to keep women safe.
Violence against women is a very serious challenge. It
is a fundamental violation of human rights. It is a
serious health issue. It also affects a country’s
productivity and its economic prospects. It destabilizes
societies and undermines security in the long term.
Together we must make combating violence against women
and girls a policy priority and engage men and boys in
being part of the solution.
You have
achieved much, but no one knows better than you how much
remains to be done. Each of you is helping to chart a
path to a better tomorrow in the South Pacific region.
Women are the greatest untapped resource on earth.
Working
together, we will make a difference!
Welcome
to Sunburst
on theWorld!
2011
Policy
Dialogue on Global Women's Issues:
Health Women and Health Economies in the South Pacific Region 
