“Improving the status of women is central to achieving sustainable growth,” Cherie Blair, founder of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, writes in the Huffington Post “World” blog, adding, “From ensuring families have proper health care, to making certain children receive an education; from contributing to economic growth to achieving good governance, women must be included if we are to make progress in global development efforts.” She notes “gender equality is confirmed as a major focus for development goals post-2015.” She quotes “the U.N. secretary general’s recently released report [.pdf], ‘A Life of Dignity for All,'” which states, “The new [post-2015] agenda must ensure the equal rights of women and girls, their full participation in the political, economic and public spheres and zero tolerance for violence against or exploitation of women and girls.”

“As the 68th Session of the U.N. General Assembly nears … [a]head of the U.N. General Assembly Special Event to Follow Up Efforts Made Towards Achieving the Millennium Development Goals, we must redouble our efforts to build on this momentum so that gender equality remains at the forefront of the post-2015 development agenda both as a stand-alone goal and integrated across the new framework,” Blair continues. “There are mothers, wives, businesswomen, leaders, mentors, caretakers, champions for environmental sustainability and many more, ready and willing to contribute towards a fair, peaceful and prosperous world for all. Together we can seize this historic opportunity to ensure equality of opportunity for women and further progress for everyone post-2015,” she concludes (8/16).

The KFF Daily Global Health Policy Report summarized news and information on global health policy from hundreds of sources, from May 2009 through December 2020. All summaries are archived and available via search.

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