I’ve always said that, as great as 'international days' are at galvanising action on an issue, when it comes to women and girls we need to take action on the other 364 days too.
That's why I'm so pleased that the Prime Minister will host a summit in July to tackle Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and Early and Forced Marriage (EFM). I've been spearheading the Coalition government's work on tackling FGM at home and abroad over the last year and the Prime Minister's summit will send a clear signal of just how seriously we take this issue.
And that's why, hot on the heels of attending the brilliant Women of the World event at the Southbank Centre for International Women's Day on Saturday, I'm here in New York for the annual UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).
I'll be attending a whole load of events as well as talking to my counterparts from around the world to ensure the CSW negotiations lead to a commitment to finish the job of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and to support the inclusion of a stand-alone goal on women and girls in the development framework that replaces the MDGs when they finish in 2015.
I'll be posting short blogs over the 2 days I'll be here on a range of themes – and I invite you all to join the conversation on women and girls that the UK government is leading in 2014.
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Comment by UN Commission on the Status of Women | Lynne Featherstone posted on
[...] I am currently in New York representing the UK at the annual UN Commission on the Status of Women. Here’s a short blog from day 1 – also available here. [...]