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On Top Of The News Email:news@arubatoday.com website: www.arubatoday.com Tel:+297 582-7800 Wednesday, March 9, 2016

First lady Michelle Obama speaks at Union Market in Washington, Tuesday, March 8, 2016, to announce private sector commitments in support of Let Girls Learn and
in celebration of International Women’s Day. Women and their accomplishments were celebrated Tuesday, but there were also stark reminders of the gender divides
in rights, representation and pay.

(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

On Day Celebrating Women, Gender Gap Lingers

MICHAEL R. SISAK But the U.N. cultural agen- allowing women and girls kicking off a weeklong U.N. because there weren’t
Associated Press cy also offered sobering around the world to rise arts event aimed at initiat- enough women to speak.
International Women’s Day statistics: More than 63 mil- and achieve their full po- ing a dialogue about gen- Of the 543 elected mem-
on Tuesday celebrated lion girls are excluded from tential will mean “a bright- der, said it’s not enough for bers in India’s lower house,
women and their accom- school in more than 200 er, more peaceful and people to rationally under- 12 percent are women.
plishments, but it also of- countries across the world. more prosperous future for stand the necessity of gen- In China, International
fered a stark reminder of Almost 16 million girls be- us all.” der equality. Women’s Day is treated as
the gender divides in rights, tween the ages of 6 and 11 Hillary Clinton, vying to be- “It’s also about making a one-off where state me-
representation and pay. — compared with about come the country’s first them feel it in their bones,” dia are fond of publishing
The day carried the theme 8 million boys — will never woman president, tweeted she said. photo galleries of “Beauti-
“Pledge for Parity” — a get the chance to learn Tuesday that advancing Some countries treat the ful Women Reporters” cov-
phrase and hashtag born to read or write in primary the status of women and day as a holiday, and ering a ceremonial legisla-
out of the World Econom- school “if current trends girls will make economies women could be seen on ture.
ic Forum’s recent projec- continue,” according to a grow and nations more se- a sunny Tuesday in the Ro- The Communist Party-run
tion that the progress on report from UNESCO’s Insti- cure. manian capital carrying People’s Daily made no
achieving global gender tute for Statistics. “It’s the right — and smart flowers, the traditional gift. mention of leadership roles
parity is slowing. Women also account for 70 — thing to do,” she wrote. Elsewhere in Bucharest, in a front-page editorial
Google’s home page on percent of the world’s hun- U.N. Secretary-General Ban women brandished a ban- Tuesday that said women
Tuesday featured a video gry, the U.N. reported, in Ki-moon stressed empower- ner saying “March 8 is for “can not only help to make
of women and girls dream- part because longstanding ing women as he spoke of fighting.” homes more pleasant and
ing and doing big things. discrimination has limited preventable deaths during In India, Prime Minister lively, but also contribute
Twitter and Facebook their access to food. child birth and those who Narendra Modi’s call for their valuable female per-
feeds filled with quotes President Barack Obama, are subjected to “genital only female lawmakers spective and efforts to
from inspirational women a father of two daughters, mutilation.” to address parliament on the progress of the entire
and calls to action. said in a statement that Actress Emma Watson, Tuesday included silence society.”q