CARE International is taking part in the European Week of Action for Girls to advocate for gender equality.
Brussels, 6 October 2014. The greatest obstacles to achieving gender equality are the deeply entrenched social norms that are preventing women and girls from realizing their full potential, warns CARE International, a leading aid agency working to empower women and girls. “Changing social norms is a long term endeavour involving all layers of society”, says Dr Robert Glasser, CARE International’s Secretary General. “At CARE, we work together with women, men – including community and religious leaders – and governments to empower women to have a voice and status in society.” Dr Glasser is one of the key panellists at the launch event of this year’s European Week of Action for Girls, where he will be speaking about shifting social norms and how to create transformative change to achieve gender equality.
The European Week of Action for Girls, organised by Plan International under the patronage of the European Parliament and in partnership with the United Nations and collaborating civil society organisations including CARE, will take place in Brussels from October 6th to 11th, ending on the International Day of the Girl Child. This week of policy and campaigning events will focus around the theme of shifting social norms, and is entitled ‘Girl Power: From the Shadows to Centre Stage’. Dr Glasser will be speaking at the launch event From Poverty to Prosperity: Achieving Lasting Change for Girls, alongside senior officials from the European Commission and the group of African, Caribbean and Pacific states. “We are adamant that bringing about transformative change, however difficult and long-term, is crucial to addressing discrimination and achieving girls’ and women’s human rights and eliminating poverty,” emphasises Dr Glasser.
CARE promotes women and girls’ empowerment, and engages with men and boys to transform unequal power relations and address gender inequality, including gender-based violence. CARE focuses on strengthening the voice of women and girls and enabling them to effectively participate in and influence the decisions that affect their lives. With longstanding partners, CARE advocates at the international level for the importance of women and girls participation in order to achieve gender equality. The European Week of Action for Girls is a key step in this direction.
Media contact: Celine Mias, EU Representative, [email protected], + 32 489 692 290
About CARE: Founded in 1945, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty and providing lifesaving assistance in emergencies. CARE places special focus on working alongside poor girls and women because, equipped with the proper resources, they have the power to help lift whole families and entire communities out of poverty.