24 DFómh 2012, 09:30
SarasWathi Menon, Director of Policy at UN-Women, the new United Nations entity for gender equality and the empowerment of women, will address the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade on the issue of promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment in international development at its meeting today, Wednesday 24th October, 2012.
Ms Menon, Director will be joined by Lilian Looloitai, Director, CORDS, a Tanzanian NGO, and Jim Clarken, chief executive, Oxfam.
Committee Chairman, Pat Breen TD said: “UN-Women’s mandate is to assist countries towards the goal of achieving gender equality, women’s empowerment and upholding women’s rights. SarasWathi Menon is currently visiting Ireland at the invitation of Oxfam Ireland.
Gender equality is a fundamental human right and is essential to effective poverty reduction and we are delighted that Ms Menon will address the Committee tomorrow. Among the issues we will focus on at our meeting are the priorities for UN-Women, its progress to date in advancing equal rights and gender equality and the challenges it faces in implementing its strategy.”
This meeting will start in Committee Room 3, Leinster House at 2.30pm today, 24th October 2012.
Committee proceedings can be followed live at:
For further information please contact:
Ciaran Brennan,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +3531 618 3903
M: 086-0496518
F: +3531 618 4551
Committee Membership
Pat Breen, TD (Chairman)
Eric Byrne, TD
Olivia Mitchell, TD
Bernard J Durkan, TD
Pádraig Mac Lochlainn, TD
Gerald Nash, TD
Dan Neville, TD
Maureen O’Sullivan, TD
Brendan Smith, TD
Senators
Deirdre Clune,
Mark Daly,
Lorraine Higgins,
Michael Mullins,
David Norris,
Jim Walsh.