Thank you for inviting me here today to speak on this issue that is very important to my government, our hemisphere and this organization.

Women in the Americas have made great strides in the last decade, particularly in education and participation in the labor force; and while many factors have contributed to this progress, an active and vocal women's movement, including the Inter-American Commission for Women, has been key. To this of course, we would add the promotion by member states of equal access to services, and attention to equality and equity in both legislation and its application. But much remains to be done. Economic crisis and rising poverty have also been factors in women's entry into the labor force, but at a cost. So we can see there has been a lot of progress but for a variety of reasons, not all of them necessarily good. A lot of progress, but we'd all agree that much remains to be done. Pronounced occupational segmentation with women and men employed in different sectors of the economy has meant that women are concentrated in services and occupy the most unstable and lowest-paying jobs, with little if any, social security. As a result, they earn less than men both in the formal and informal sectors. This is not good social policy -- and its not good economics; equal rights for women are an integral part of any human rights framework and of democratic development. Gender equality is essential to reducing poverty and inequity. In the Americas, as elsewhere, experience has shown us that improvements in women's health, education, and learning capacity lead to better family health and nutrition, higher scholastic achievement of children, higher productivity and household income, as well as increased public participation. This is a good deal.

Canada is strongly committed to advancing gender equality and women's human rights in the hemisphere. We support and applaud the work of the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) and we are pleased to be represented on its executive committee by the coordinator of Status of Women in Canada, Florence Ievers. We're committed to the implementation of the Inter-American Program on the Promotion of Women's Human Rights and Gender Equity and Equality and the CIDI's strategic plan for integral development. In both of these instruments, gender equality and equity are key. The project that is being launched today is a concrete demonsstration of that commitment. We're happy to support the OAS in its commitment to do gender equality through this project and we're confident that the leadership you will demonstrate, will move this agenda forward. This is important, not just because gender equality is an issue of social justice, but also because it is vital to economic growth, social inclusion and the fighting against poverty. We'll be following this initiative closely and we commend you for your dedication to this very, very worthy goal.