The Second World Women Conference concluded on Saturday with a declaration to empower women at grassroots level to achieve gender equality. 

The six-day conference, which drew around 700 participants from 40 countries, ended on a strong note to combat gender-based violence, equal pay for both men and women and end the discrimination against women in the name of development. 

“We feel that the grass roots women have not been excluded in many other international events and our aim is to bring out their issues and empower them. Women across the globe have been victims of violence and unequal pay, we need to fight it together,” said Monica Gartner-Engel, the coordinator for the European countries.

She added that women have become victims of globalisation, neoliberalism and privatisation of social benefits and their double exploitation and oppression and we want to empower them to play their role in the new world order of imperialism.

Forbidding soldiers charged with rape from attending peacekeeping mission was the other issue strongly raised during the conference. The 10 workshops held during the conference also raised issues of women falling prey to war in conflict-hit African states, while participants from countries in the demanded release of political prisoners. 

 “We stressed on the need to take those charged with rape to international court and banning soldiers charged with rape from joining the UN peacekeeping,” said Sheila Singh Anwar, coordinator for Nepal.