Delegates from across Southeast Asia ended a three-day workshop Wednesday that discussed gender and the region’s commitment to the Millennium Development Goals as set out by the UN.
Minister of Women’s and Veterans’ Affairs Mu Sochua on Monday welcomed representatives from Nepal, the Philippines, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Burma who gathered in an effort to strengthen regional ties and bolster women’s opportunities in both governmental and public sectors.
Of the seven Millennium Development Goals established by UN member nations in 2000, goal No 3 was particularly important to conference participants.
The goal—to promote gender equality and empower women—aims to eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education by 2005, and in all levels of education no later than 2015.
UN Development Program Resident Representative Dominique McAdams said Cambodia is on track to achieving some goals, including halving the proportion of people who are undernourished and ensuring universal completion of primary education. But she said the country is lagging in eliminating gender disparity in secondary and tertiary education.
The workshop should impel Cambodia to move forward with its Millennium Development Goals report, which is due for presentation to the UN General Assembly by year’s end, said UNDP information officer Sue Spencer.
