UN chief Ban-Ki moon calls for better opportunities for women

United Nations, Sept 23: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on the international community to work harder to provide better opportunities for women.

"I look forward to a time when all societies everywhere can reap the benefits of gender equality," Ban said on Thursday at the high-level panel on women's economic empowerment event at UN Headquarters in New York, co-organised by the panel's secretariat and UN Women, Xinhua news agency reported.

"As I said this week to the General Assembly -- and the world -- I am proud to call myself a feminist," he said, referring to his speech delivered at the opening of the annual high-level debate of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.

"I firmly believe in a '50-50 planet'," Ban said.

"One way of achieving this goal is through women's economic empowerment," the secretary-general said. "This is a uniquely potent way for women to have greater choice and exert control over their own lives. At the same time, it will benefit their families, their communities and their countries' economies."

The high-level panel is backed by the UN Women, the UN International Labour Organization, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, with support for its work provided by the British Department for International Development.

The UN chief said that he has "great faith" in the panel, and he also thanked the panel for its strong commitment and leadership.

IANS