Brussels, 30/03/2010 (Agence Europe) - During the “Fifth Spanish and African Women's Meeting for a Better World” on 27-28 March in Valencia, at the invitation of the Spanish presidency of the EU, Prime Minister José Luis Zapatero, reiterated the importance his country placed on inclusion in the new economic strategy. He affirmed the absolute imperative of equality between men and women and the objectives of 70% employment for women by 2020, as well as the goal to reduce the wages disparity between men and women. He called for, “equality to become a reality throughout Europe in both urban and rural zones, in the professional arena, as well as in the family” and pointed out that “equality begins where sexist violence ends”.
The meeting ended with the adoption of the “Valencia Declaration 2010” by which the 500 participants from 50 African, Spanish, European and Latin American countries (including the president of Chile, Michèle Bachelet) made a commitment to: 1) implement a permanent programme for political and social leadership at the regional training centre in Bamako, 2) double the number of programmes for strengthening the democratic institutions in Monrovia, 3) set up two regional entrepreneurial promotion centres, 5) develop women's access to micro-finance and credit, agricultural management and concertation with other organisations such as the African Union and the Untied Nations, 6) consolidate education and health systems. They are therefore committed to adopting, before the next women's meeting for a better world in 2011 in Namibia, this strategic plan with specific objectives and a concrete action plan. (G.B.)