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SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — The top U.N. gender equality official says more must be done to fight violence against women.
U.N. Women's Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka expressed cautious optimism ahead of the next year's 25th anniversary of the conference that adopted the only international platform to achieve women's rights and empowerment. But she also noted that women and girls continue to suffer discrimination and violence in every part of the world.
The 150-page platform for action to achieve gender equality was adopted by 189 governments at the 1995 Beijing women's conference.
Mlambo-Ngcuka said Tuesday that the platform has pushed countries around the world to create a "gender machinery." That includes specific laws dedicated to addressing the issue. But she also says fighting violence against women "sort of got neglected."
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