President Vladimir Putin addressed the session
St Petersburg hosted the plenary session of the Second Eurasian Women’s Forum entitled Women for Global Security and Sustainable Development. President Vladimir Putin spoke at the event.
The President greeted the forum guests and organisers. He noted that the forum geography had reached beyond the Eurasian continent. “History provides us with quite a few extraordinary examples when women assumed responsibility for decisions that were pivotal for entire countries and nations. In today’s complex, rapidly changing world women are proactive and successful in many spheres, and play an increasingly important role in strengthening peace and security, which is their natural role, and contribute to addressing key socioeconomic and humanitarian problems,” the President stressed.
“Women are active in the United Nations and head leading international organisations, executive and legislative authorities in their countries. Many women are talented scientists, entrepreneurs, politicians and public figures. I can also see outstanding athletes in this room,” Vladimir Putin said. He added that the countries of the world will only benefit from more women’s success stories.
Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matvienko noted in her speech that, like three years ago, this forum confirmed its global status by bringing together participants from 110 countries.
“The elite of the global women’s community has gathered in this hall. There are statespersons, politicians, non-government organisation leaders, women who have achieved outstanding success in business, science, culture, and there are public opinion leaders here,” she said.
Representatives from the 27 largest international organisations have participated in the forum, according to the Federation Council Speaker. These include the United Nations, the World Health Organisation, UNIDO, UNICEF, the International Labour Organisation and the World Bank.
“Representatives from almost every Russian region are here. Foreign guests have an excellent opportunity to learn about a huge and multinational Russia and its great cultural variety. We came together to find solutions to the global challenges of the modern world. We will speak openly and honestly about peace on Earth, a clean planet, tackling climate change and using energy resources efficiently,” she added.
The Speaker added that other issues for discussion will include preserving the health of the world population, ensuring the social security of families, women’s involvement in entrepreneurship and developing the digital economy. “All these subjects have a women’s dimension.”
The Speaker recalled the words of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres who said that there is no shorter way to peace and prosperity than expanding women’s opportunities.
“It should be acknowledged that gender equality issues are gradually changing for the better as women’s influence across all areas increases. It is indicative, for example, that there are now more female than male senior officials at the United Nations. The majority of states are near to fully closing the gap between men and women in equality of education. Russia has completely resolved this problem. The world is also growing closer to closing the career gap, Valentina Matvienko said.
The increasing role of women in parliaments indicates positive changes, the Speaker believes. Now women head almost 20 percent of parliaments in the world. Major parliament organisations such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union, PACE, also have female leaders who are attending the Second Eurasian Women’s Forum. Another important milestone is establishing the Women’s Twenty (W20) which is meeting for the first time during the forum in Russia.
The First Eurasian Women’s Forum served as a powerful trigger for promoting the women’s agenda. “The Russian President issued instructions following the forum and last year, the Russian Government developed and passed the national women’s interests action strategy. Another significant measure was the Presidential Executive Order announcing the Decade of Childhood in Russia. These are the two large-scale national programmes prioritised by the state. Women also play a key role in their implementation.”
Thanks to a system-wide government policy, Valentina Matvienko noted, Russia has achieved all-time lows in infant and maternal mortality rates, ensured one-hundred-percent kindergarten availability for children aged three to seven. We resolved an important social task and thus provided women who wish to continue their careers with an opportunity to do so.
“Russia has been the world leader for the number of women in managerial positions for three consecutive years. Forty-seven percent of management jobs in our countries are held by women. I am glad to see that in high-tech companies every one in three top managers today is a woman,” she added.
Valentina Matvienko said that, despite the fact that a great deal has been achieved in the past three years since the first forum, we must admit that some identified problems persist for many countries. “First, it is the feminisation of poverty. Women account for around 70 percent of all people living below the poverty line.”
Experts estimate that it may take one to two centuries to eliminate economic inequality at the current growth rate, according to the Federation Council Speaker. “We cannot wait so long. We must act. Closing the employment gap between women and men by just 25 percent would add four percent to global economic growth. There are many other problems too. I believe that we, women, must take a more proactive and aggressive (in a good sense) stance on overcoming gender inequality.”
Valentina Matvienko reminded the audience that the theme running through this forum’s programme is women for global security and sustainable development. “The deep meaning of this formula is that security and sustainable development, while creating synergy, are the decisive factors in achieving the other goals – primarily, security for our families and confidence in our children’s present and future. This is what the general women’s agenda essentially means. We call on all female leaders around the world to unite for the sake of resolving these matters.”
The women’s dialogue is gaining particular significance at the international level these days, according to the Speaker.
“International terrorism is a serious threat for civilisation. The Middle East and North Africa are burning in this fire. There are thousands of killed and injured, millions of refugees. Russia is largely involved in combating this evil and calls for creating a united front against international terrorism. We hope that the global women’s community at this forum will raise its voice in support of united action.”
Unfortunately, the world’s potential for conflict is growing. Fundamental principles of communication between states are being sacrificed, including supremacy of international law, non-interference in domestic affairs of sovereign states and respect for the rights of nations to their own path of development. There are increasingly more cases of economic and political pressure, the Speaker stressed.
Opening of the Second Eurasian Women’s Forum meeting on women for sustainable development in the world.
“Entire nations are being punished, more frequently by unilateral sanctions, simply because people vote, speak and think differently from what somebody outside expects. Economic blockades are imposed; people are denied freedom of movement; their basic human rights are being violated.”
Valentina Matvienko said she believes that in the 21st century, women must become a powerful force for settling conflicts. “It is necessary to achieve wider participation among women in current mechanisms to overcome conflict and to create efficient women’s structures for achieving these goals. We must use our growing influence to promote humanistic ideas in international relations.”
Valentina Matvienko said she is certain that the Eurasian Women’s Forum will make an important contribution to these efforts. “I believe the forum will produce new ideas and proposals on all issues on the agenda. And we will approve our common final document that will be sent to the heads of state and government in the world, the United Nations and major international organisations. We will insist that our recommendations form a basis for legislative changes that will protect women, rights and freedoms.”
In two years, we will celebrate 25 years since the Fourth World Conference of the Commission on the Status of Women in Beijing, the Speaker said. “It is planned that the 75th Session of the UN General Assembly will dedicate a special high-level meeting to this anniversary and a final document will be approved on expediting equality between men and women, expanding rights and opportunities for all women and girls. This forum must make its contribution to shaping the substantial details of this document which will essentially declare a new women’s agenda.”
In his address, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Gabriela Cuevas Barroncalled for the more extensive inclusion of women in the economy. For her part, Gudrun Mosler-Tornstrom, President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, noted women’s growing impact on the global agenda.
Speaking at the forum, St Petersburg Governor Georgy Poltavchenko stressed that holding the Eurasian Women’s Forum in the northern capital has become a good tradition.
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, State Duma Speaker VyacheslavVolodin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov sent their greetings to the forum.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres greeted the forum participants in a video message.