Your Excellency, Mr. Abdelwahad Radi, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Your Excellency, Mr. Martin Chungong, Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Distinguished parliamentarians,

I am pleased to send greetings to this important IPU Assembly and I congratulate President Radi on his excellent service.

I welcome your focus on achieving gender equality and ending violence against women.

Both are central to reaching the Millennium Development Goals and succeeding with the post-2015 development agenda.

Gender inequality and violence against women undermine equal opportunities and violate human rights.

The UN’s “HeforShe” campaign brings together men from all walks of life to end this affront to our common humanity. 

I constantly call for greater representation of women in parliaments. They deserve a fair say in decisions affecting us all.

I applaud the IPU for advocating greater political representation of women. You have 30 proud years of bringing women parliamentarians together. 

You can help achieve justice, equality and an end to gender-based violence.

I count on you to help bring the voices of women and girls to the legislatures of the world.

Thank you.