March 5, 2013 (TSR) – The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC in Spanish) Tuesday called for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women as key elements for economic and social development.

The progress can only be achieved in conditions of equality between men and women, said the organisation, and stressed its objective of incorporating that perspective in the design, application and evaluation of public policies of member countries.

Celac
The CELAC position in that topic was highlighted this Monday by Cuban Ambassador to the United Nations, Rodolfo Reyes, when he spoke at the inaugural session of the 57th Session of the UN Commission on the Legal Status of Women.

The meeting was summoned to debate the issue on “Elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls.”

The diplomat expressed concern of the Latin American and Caribbean region on the problems of aggressions against women, the traffic of women and girls, the feminisation of poverty and the HIV/AIDS.

He also warned about the critical situation of migrant, rural and indigenous women, those with handicaps and afrodescendants.

The CELAC representative highlighted the importance of the 12th Conference of Latin America and the Caribbean, to be held in October in the Dominican Republic and another regional consultation that was held last month in El Salvador.

Reyes also warned of poverty, hunger, illiteracy and unemployment which caused violence against women and girls to worsen.

First published in Prensa Latina.

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