Statement
By H.E. Maria Filomena Delgado
Minister of Family and the Promotion of Women
At the 61st Session of the Commission on the Status of Women
“Women’s Economic Empowerment in the Changing World of Work”
March 15th, 2017
Excellency, Mr. António de Aguiar Patriota, President of the Bureau
Excellencies,
Distinguished participants,
Ladies,
Gentlemen,
It is with great satisfaction that, on behalf of the Angolan Government and of my delegation, I take the floor in this Sixty-first session of the Commission on the Status of Women, under the theme “Women’s Economic Empowerment in the Changing World of Work.”
I would like to congratulate You and the other members of the Bureau for successfully leading the work of this session, and to assure you of our full cooperation.
Angola associates itself with the statements made by Ecuador on behalf of the G-77 and China, Nigeria on behalf of the African Group and Swaziland on behalf of SADC.
Excellencies,
The world of work changes constantly and fast owing to globalization, innovation, the new technologies that dominate the market—including information and communication technologies—, and also due to emerging issues such as blue and green economies, which tend to mitigate Climate Change.
There is no doubt that although these issues increase employment opportunities for women, they also pose challenges for women, since technical skills, education, health, safety, vocational training, access to land and natural and financial resources, non-discrimination, combating violence, gender equality, combating moral and sexual harassment and other forms of social exclusion are the necessary premises for women to gain self-confidence and self-esteem to participate fully in economic processes in equal standing with men, in accordance with the United Nations 7 principles for the empowerment of women.
That is to say that women's economic empowerment is the process through which women have the opportunity to participate as agents and beneficiaries of economic processes with a positive impact on their well-being; build strong economies; establish more stable and just societies; achieve the internationally agreed development, sustainability, and human rights goals; improve the quality of life of families and communities and drive business operations and goals.
To empower women, Angola has enacted important legal instruments, as well as programs and projects in the domains of Gender Equality and Equity; Agriculture; Combat to Domestic Violence; Development of Rural Women; Regulation of Domestic Work; and Regulation of the Informal Market Sector.
Women and young people participate in Programs for the Promotion of Small Rural Industries; Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Programs; Agricultural Credit Programs; creation of Productive, Qualified and Gainful Employment; Projects to Disseminate Science and Technology; creation of Integrated Professional Training, Economic, and Social Empowerment of Women.
Still in the context of empowering women, and particularly of promoting rural women, we are promoting community banks, training in business management, and providing financing and kits to women micro entrepreneurs.
Excellencies,
Ladies,
Gentlemen,
In spite of these efforts, we still face many challenges in reducing gender inequality in the public service, in public and private companies, and in reducing the large number of women working in the informal market. To this end, we have launched a program to convert the informal economy into a formal one.
To quote Madam Phumzile, "we have challenges, but there are solutions."
Ladies,
Gentlemen,
Angola will be holding its fourth general elections in a few months, the results of which we hope will improve what is right and correct what is wrong, as well as adjust macroeconomic policies. We thus reiterate our commitment to do everything within our national, regional, and international responsibilities to help women achieve full participation.
Distinguished Delegates,
Thank you kindly for your attention!
We Stand Together.