“Empowering Women”

Mr. Mulrean
Ms. Lucey
Dear Colleagues
Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the opening of this exhibition of quilts entitled “Empowering Women”, organized by the Permanent Mission of the United States of America. It is held in collaboration with the NGOs ‘Quilt for Change’ and ‘Solar Sister’. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Ambassador King and the Permanent Mission for making this event possible. I am pleased that for the third time we are able to showcase such beautiful and significant quilts at the Palais des Nations.

The message behind these quilts cannot be more timely.
Working with and for women around the globe is a United Nations priority and part of the action plan of the UN Secretary-General. Women lag behind men in access to land, credit and decent jobs. This is despite the fact that a growing body of research shows that enhancing women’s economic options boosts national economies.

It is critical that women fully participate in all aspects of life – economic, political, social and yes, even environmental. This can be done at the macroeconomic level through government policies that promote gender equality. But as we see from the projects of the NGO ‘Solar Sister’, it can also be done by empowering one woman at a time with economic opportunity. Although these actions are taken on a small scale, they have large-scale results.

What is more, these results are essential in our push for a sustainable future based on renewable energy. It is clear that renewable energy is not just the way of the future, but of the present.

The technology works, it is scale-able and increasingly competitive. It enhances energy security, cuts air pollution, saves water in many cases and also fights climate change.

Specifically, the work of ‘Solar Sister’ shows us that by providing vital access to ‘green’ energy technology through women’s rural networks, communities benefit from sustainable and clean access to electricity.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

As we enjoy each and every one of these quilts this evening, I think we will all reflect on these two issues – women’s empowerment and sustainable development. And we will recognize that promoting both leads us to a better and more sustainable future for all.

Thank you very much.