Unclassified DCD/DAC/RD(2008)6/RD7 Organisation de Coopération et de Développement Économiques Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 19-May-2008 ___________________________________________________________________________________________

English text only DEVELOPMENT CO-OPERATION DIRECTORATE DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE COMMITTEE

MDG3 CHAMPION TORCH: EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN .... IT PAYS OFF

DAC High Level Meeting, 20-21 May 2008

The attached note is submitted for INFORMATION by the Delegation of Denmark as background to the presentations of MDG3 Champion torches to the OECD�s Secretary General and the Chair of the DAC at 10.00 on Wednesday, 21 May, in the Atrium of the OECD�s Conference Centre. Please note that the original document exists in PDF format only.

Contact: Patti O'Neil, DCD/POL (patti.oneill@oecd.org, tel: +33 1 45 24 1887)

JT03245921

Document complet disponible sur OLIS dans son format d'origine Complete document available on OLIS in its original format

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MDG3 ChaMpion TorCh:EMpowErMEnT of woMEn…iT pays off

Why something extra must be doneIn 2000, world leaders agreed on

eight ambitious – and necessary –

development goals to be reached by

2015 (The Millennium Development

Goals – MDG). One of the goals is

to promote gender equality and to

empower women. Gender equality

and women’s empowerment is also

core to accelerating progress on all

other MDGs. It simply pays off to

invest in women.

Half way to 2015, we are far from

achieving the MDGs. It is imperative

that we speed up our efforts.

Something extra must be done.

Denmark has launched a global

campaign on empowerment of

women and gender equality. The

campaign is called “MDG3 Global

Call to Action”. The aim is to create a

Global Coalition of governments, civil

society and the private sector that will

push for the economic empowerment

of women without delay.

This Torch Initiative is part of the campaign. Your contribution is important.

Read more about the campaign at

www.mdg3action.um.dk.

The Torch InitiativeWe have the honour of inviting you

to join the MDG3 Champion Torch.

This initiative aims at accelerating

progress on gender equality and

women’s economic empowerment.

By accepting the torch you are

making an important contribution

to the fulfilment of the Millennium

Development Goals.

At least 100 torches are travelling

around the world. Each of them

symbolises action taken to break the

vicious cycle of poverty, illiteracy and

lack of basic rights as experienced

by millions of women in developing

countries. Each time one of the

torches changes hands, a new pledge

to do something extra to promote

gender equality and empowerment

of women has been made.

At the UN High-Level meeting in

September 2008, the torches and

a catalogue of pledges will be

presented to UN Secretary-General

Ban Ki-moon. The Secretary-General

will be invited to accept the final

torch.

Join the Bright Wave of ResolveOnly a joint effort will enhance

gender equality and women’s

empowerment. With this call, we

urge you to help accelerate progress.

You have been chosen specifically as

a Torch Bearer because you are in a

position “To Do Something Extra”,

which is exactly what is needed.

Receiving the Torch is also an

opportunity to raise awareness

and promote new activities on

gender issues within your sphere of

influence and to the general public.

All Torch Bearers are leading

representatives of governments,

international organisations,

companies, business organisations,

civil society, the media or the like.

Your contribution to this initiative is

therefore of the utmost importance.

Your commitment is importantAs a bearer of the torch you

have accepted to make a pledge

to promote the economic

empowerment of women and

gender equality. Your pledge will

be a very valuable contribution

to this global wave of resolve.

Your pledge should focus on things

you will do in addition to things

already planned. All actions count –

small as well as large. Actions must

be carried out preferably before 2010.

In the attached brochure, we have

listed a catalogue of ideas of how

you can “To Do Something Extra”.

In order to make it possible to

present the UN Secretary-General

with a substantial list of pledges,

we will ensure that your pledge is

reported to www.mdg3action.um.dk.

All pledges will be published on

this website.

Torch Bearer’s Opportunities As an official bearer of the torch

you are invited to use the MDG3

Logo for branding purposes, i.e.

websites, stationery, etc. You can

download the logo and guidelines

at www.mdg3action.um.dk.

You are also invited – and

encouraged – to pass on the torch

to another torch bearer who is

willing – like you – to make an

extra effort to promote gender

equality and the empowerment of

women. Torches can be passed on

and pledges will be collected until

24 September 2008. We request

other torch bearers to ensure that

their pledges are reported to

www.mdg3action.um.dk.