Press Release: International Women’s Day – 8 March 2010

On 7 March 2010, fifteen years after the groundbreaking Fourth World Conference on Women, which was held in Beijing in 1995, the international community has clear legal norms on the prohibition of discrimination and the active promotion of gender equality and women's empowerment. These norms are accepted in all countries of the world as part of human rights law. The international community is also equipped with bodies that can effectively monitor the implementation of women's rights. This is the case of the UN Committee on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (the 'CEDAW Committee') and the recently-established Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on violence against women in conflict situations.

European Commission: Press Release: IP/10/248: International Women's Day: action plan puts equality and empowerment high on the development agenda http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/10/248&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

European Commission: Speech: SPEECH/10/75:Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ Vice-President of the European Commission Responsible for "Interinstitutional Relations and Administration" "Work – Life Balance in the European Commission" Journée de la Femme – Conference on Equal Opportunities Brussels, 8 March 2010 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/10/75&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

European Commission: Speech: SPEECH/10/74: Neelie Kroes Women's journeys: using education, independence and flexibility to build a more humane world Acceptance speech for the Aletta Jacobs Prijs 2010 Groningen, 8 th March 2010 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/10/74&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

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