“Where we fail to capitalize on the potential and talents of one half of the population, we also squander the potential to reduce poverty, hunger, disease, environmental degradation and violence." Michelle Bachelet, Executive Director of UN Women
UN Women executive director Michelle Bachelet gave an opening statement at the annual session of the Executive Board of UN Women on June 27th, 2011. In her speech she touches upon many of the issues surrounding unequal opportunities for women, most of them economic.
She mentions that by allowing equal access to land resources, there would be an estimated 100 to 150 million less starving people. She also mentions the economic effects of domestic violence and how some countries are factoring it into their losses (the US is estimated to lose about $5.8 billion annually in lost productivity and health costs associated with domestic abuse).
Some might see it as a callous way of looking at women's issues, but in a competitive and capitalistic international arena, portraying these issues economically may be the only way to see results.
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