Speech by Ana Agostino, UN ATD event, New York, 17 October 2007

I am very happy to be here as co-chair of GCAP and representative of the Feminist Task Force to join you incommemorating 20 years since this date was instituted.  It is a date though, that we rather be not celebrating, above all because there is no reason whatsoever why we, in the 21st Century, still face poverty when we live in a world of abundance and full of resources. In fact, one of the major problems of our time is that we do not know any more what to do with the waste that is being constantly produced as a result of a model based exclusively on the idea of constant production and consumption. For mainstream society it seems that to be is to consume, citizenship has almost become a synonym of consumption. So those out of consumption are also denied their rights as citizens. This is an affront to our condition of human beings and to the dignity of every person that can only be realized in
cooperation with others, as part of a community. Growing numbers of people around the world feel indignation as a result of this situation and are calling on governments and international financial institutions to put an end to poverty. As FTF of GCAP we are saying that gender equality is a condition to achieve this goal. Why? I can mention just some few statistics that show how women are the ones mostly affected by poverty:

-    70% of the 1.3 billion living on less than 1USD a day are women

-    65% of the world’s illiterate are women

-    60% of those out of primary school are girls

-    Women earn three quarters of the make wage for the same work

-    Women’s unemployment is 50 to 100% greater than men’s unemployment

But this is not a day to put an emphasis on statistics. It’s a day of hope and celebration in the understanding that mobilization of women and men, of girls and boys around the world is going to put an end to this situation. And those mobilized are putting clear demands to those in positions where decisions can be taken. Those demands have to do with the proper implementation of social services. We heard testimonies of sisters from different parts of the world who cannot send their children to school because they have to choose between paying the rent or the school fees. This cannot happen. Education is a right to all and it must be guaranteed by States all over the world, in poor and in rich countries alike. As Education, so many other areas that have to do with the wellbeing of a society have been privatized following conditionalities imposed by International Financial institutions resulting in an impoverishment of the life conditions of so many people. We call on governments to fulfill their duties and guarantee full citizenship to all those living in their countries, to relate to other governments on an equal basis, without imposing conditions, we call on IFIs to serve the interest of the majority of human beings around the world and not corporate interests.  We call on the diversity of human beings to be recognized, promoted and protected. We call for gender equality in the understanding that a society that respects and gives women opportunities for empowerment is a society that will be in a better position to overcome poverty.

Congratulation to the ATD Fourth World for organizing this event and we hope that the struggle we are embarked upon together will yield fruits and we will celebrate next year only the memory of poverty, as we are in a position to
eradicate it!