Message from Ms Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, on the Occasion of International Women’s Day

联合国教科文组织总干事伊琳娜·博科娃女士在“国际妇女节”的致辞

“Empower Women, Empower Humanity – Picture it!”

“增强妇女权能，增强人类权能——展开想象的翅膀！”

8 March 2015

2015年3月8日

2015 marks the 20th anniversary of the 4th World Conference on Women that culminated¹ in the adoption² of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. In 1995, States and civil society representatives signed a commitment for gender³ equality, guided by the conviction that “women’s empowerment and their full participation⁴ on the basis of equality in all spheres of society, including participation in the decision-making process and access to power, are fundamental for the achievement of equality, development and peace.” I was among the 17,000 delegates from across the world, who gathered in Beijing in 1995, and I remember leaving Beijing with hope and a sense of accomplishment⁵.

2015年，我们迎来了通过《北京宣言》和《行动纲领》的第四届世界妇女大会20周年。1995年，各国和民间社会的代表签署了一份有关性别平等的承诺，其指导思想是“赋予妇女权力和她们在平等基础上充分参加社会所有领域，包括参加决策进程和掌握权力的机会，是实现平等、发展与和平的基础。”1995年全世界17000名代表齐聚北京，我也是其中一员。我记得离开北京时，心怀希望与成就感。

As we celebrate the anniversary of this historical event, it is clear that, despite significant advances and much hard work, inequalities still exist in countries across the world. 2015 is the year to review achievements and look to the challenges that remain, as well as to untapped potential and opportunities. This is especially important as States shape a new global sustainable development agenda. In moving forward, we must support women’s empowerment as a transformational force for human rights, for economic growth, for sustainability – and place gender equality at the heart of all development efforts.

在庆祝这一历史性事件的20周年之际，我们清楚地看到，尽管已取得重大进展，做出大量努力，但不平等问题在世界各国依然存在。2015年，我们应回顾成就，看到继存的挑战以及未曾开发的潜力和机会。在各国拟定新的全球可持续发展议程的过程中，这一点尤为重要。在前行途中，我们必须支持将增强妇女权能作为促进人权、经济增长和可持续性的变革力量，并将性别平等置于各项发展工作的核心。

These goals guide all of UNESCO’s work to take forward its Global Priority Gender Equality through all of its fields of competence⁶ – to ensure girls’ and women’s equal access to quality education and skills development, science and technology, information and communication. These objectives underpin⁷ UNESCO’s Global Partnership⁸ for Girls and Women’s Education, as well as the activities supported by the Malala Fund for Girls’ Right to Education. Our work is one of partnership, across the United Nations system, working ever more closely with UN Women, as well as with the private sector⁹, reflected in the longstanding L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science programme, to support girls and women into scientific careers.

正是为了实现这些目标，教科文组织在其所有主管领域努力推进性别平等总体优先事项——确保女童和妇女平等获得良好教育和技能发展、科学和技术、信息和通信。教科文组织的女童和妇女教育全球伙伴关系以及马拉拉女童受教育权基金所支持的各项活动也是以这些目标为支柱。我们的工作依托整个联合国系统的伙伴关系，与联合国妇女署展开前所未有的紧密合作，同时也与私营部门合作，长期以来支持女童和妇女从事科学工作的欧莱雅--教科文组织妇女科学奖就是一个例证。

2015 is a decisive year. Twenty years after Beijing, as the world decides on a new agenda, we must craft a new vision that builds on lessons learned and outlines new actions to tackle new and remaining challenges. In this spirit, I call on UNESCO Member States and all partners to join forces to place the transformational power of gender equality at the heart of the post-2015 global sustainable development agenda.

2015年是决定性的一年。北京大会二十年后，世界正在制定新的议程之际，我们必须在以往经验教训的基础上提出新的设想，制定新的行动，以应对新旧挑战。为此，我呼吁教科文组织会员国和所有合作伙伴共同努力，把性别平等的变革力量置于2015年后全球可持续发展议程的核心。