The Undersecretary of Dicastery for laity, family and life, Gabriella Gambino, denounced in the UN that poverty affects women more, while asking for conciliation policies that support mothers at work and at home.
Within the framework of the 69th session of the commission of the legal and social status of the woman organized by the international body, the Vatican official made it clear that there can be no development or peace if the dignity of women is undermined by poverty. ”
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He assured in this way that equality requires not only the recognition of the dignity of women, but also of “conditions” in which women can enjoy the same opportunities as men.
That is why he insisted that “the eradication of poverty is key, especially because it affects women more.”
For Gambino, closely linked to poverty is education, which defined as “an essential instrument to achieve the objectives of equality, development and peace” since “it creates the conditions to build an environment in which women and men, girls and children, are treated on the foot of equality and encouraged to develop their full potential, respecting their freedom of thought, consciousness, religion and beliefs”.
He also emphasized that education is key to eliminating the “causes of discrimination against women and inequalities between men and women.”
Maternity is not an obstacle
Gambino in turn disallowed “the predominant trend in the last three decades” in the society of “disregarding the family and considering motherhood as an obstacle to the lives of women.”
He regretted that women have not provided the “support they need to reconcile family life and their responsibilities at work.” In this regard, he also criticized that both motherhood and work have been ignored “contribute to social development.”
On the other hand, he censored that “the most basic human right, the right to life” has not been protected.
“These problems can only be solved through political action and a cultural change in terms of family and motherhood,” he said.
After reaffirming the fundamental role that women play in the family, which considered “basic unity of society”, the Vatican official stressed “the importance of political action to achieve a cultural change in relation to family and motherhood.”
The UN hosted several presentations on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the fourth World Conference on Women under the motto “Action for Equality, Development and Peace” that took place in 1995 in Beijing (China).
Thus he pointed out that in that meeting it was valued that the woman “plays a fundamental role in the family, and, as such, it must be reinforced” “unfortunately, although progress has been made, much remains to be done,” he said.
Citing Pope Francis, he indicated that if women could enjoy full equal opportunities, “they could substantially contribute to the necessary change towards a world of peace, inclusion, solidarity and integral sustainability.”
The expert observed the social advances that have been consolidated during these decades, but regretted that the principle stated in the pekin action platform “Power and responsibility shared” between women and men is not yet a reality.
“It will only be put into practice through the creation of an educational environment in which these conditions are met,” he determined.
Gambino also participated as a speaker in the parallel act to the 69th session of the Commission of the legal and social status of the structured woman with the title “Prejudices before birth: the practices of sex selection and its consequences. The pending subject of Beijing”.
Victoria Cardiel
Victoria Cardiel is a journalist specialized in social and religious information issues. Since 2013, he has covered all the news of the Vatican for various media, such as the Spanish news agency Europa Press, or the weekly of the Archdiocese of Madrid, Alfa and Omega.