MANILA, Philippines—“Women and children are 14 times more likely to be victims of natural disasters than men in societies where gender inequalities exist,” United Nations Undersecretary General Noeleen Heyzer said at ongoing three-day Asia Pacific NGO Forum on Beijing+15.

Beijing+15 refers to the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action for the UN Fourth World Conference on Women, reflecting global commitment to the goals of equality, development, and peace for all women, everywhere.

At Miriam College in Quezon City, Heyzer condoled with the Philippines, and underscored the relevance of tackling climate change not only in light of the aftermath of the storms that ravaged a significant portion of Luzon but also in the context of women's rights.

She noted that while climate change, a topic addressed on the second day of the forum, will undoubtedly affect everyone, “women are among the most highly impacted due to gender-biased division of labor and existing gender inequality.”

Heyzer, who only stayed for a few hours in Manila to grace the forum, has played key roles in pushing for the rights of women through non-governmental organizations and now through the UN. As executive secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (Unescap), she has championed energy, food, and water security as well as green growth in the Asia Pacific region. In response to the current economic crisis, Heyzer has worked with member-states to develop a more coordinated, integrated regional response.

In her keynote address before a delegation of over 500, Heyzer lauded the efforts of prominent feminist trailblazers such as Patricia Licuanan, Ph.D., forum convener and president of Miriam College, and Leticia Ramos-Shahani, Ph.D, former Senator and dean of the College of International, Humanitarian, and Development Studies at Miriam College whose commitment and hard work have helped women's movements in the region and across the globe break ground in securing women's rights.

However, Heyzer conceded that there is still much to be done before a shared “vision of more equitable societies” may be achieved. Societies “where daughters have the same chances as sons, where women live safe from violence, poverty, and discrimination.”

Toward the end of her speech, the UN official formally invited Licuanan to present the outcome of the Forum to the Beijing+15 Ministerial Review meeting in Bangkok this coming November and closed with a voice of hope for the women present at the opening.

“The one thing I know is that it is a demanding movement. But also one that blends challenge, joy, and generosity of spirit in our commitment to make the world free from want, free from fear, and free from discrimination. There is no turning back. Let us keep moving forward,” she said

The Asia Pacific NGO Forum on Beijing+15, an international forum intended to create a venue for women's movements across the region to develop a strategy for stronger civil society, advocating the rights of women and holding institutions accountable for their international commitments to women, closes October 25 with an international women’s bazaar.

INQUIRER.net First Posted 10:33:00 10/25/2009 Filed Under: Disasters (general), Women, Children