United Nations Radio

In too many countries, women are still not seen as equals in the eye of the law or the minds of men and boys.

That's what UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a video message Monday to a Global Symposium on Engaging Men and Boys in Gender Equality - held in Rio de Janeiro.
The Secretary-General said no country and no culture has fully escaped this prejudice, adding that violence against women was the most obvious and hateful expression.
But he said inequality also exists in the home, in schools, in the workplace and in the halls of power.
The Secretary-General stressed that men and boys must play their part in the effort to achieve gender equality.
He said men must teach each other that real men do not violate or oppress women - and that a woman's place is not just in the home or the field, but in schools and offices and boardrooms.
He concluded that only by being prepared to stand up for fundamental rights can we expect to achieve lasting change.

This is Donn Bobb reporting for United Nations Radio.
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