Remarks by UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet at Informal Discussion With Girl High School Students, Al-Ghafari High School, Morocco

Remarks by UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet at Informal Discussion With Girl High School Students, Al-Ghafari High School, Morocco, 8 march 2012.

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Good morning. I am so pleased to be here with you to celebrate International Women's Day!

It is my pleasure to join you at Abidar Alghafari High School.

I bring warm greetings from all my colleagues around the world from UN Women.

To kick off International Women's Day celebrations, UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet took part in an interactive dialogue with young school girls at the “Abidar Al Ghafari High School in Rabat, Morocco. The meeting brought together students who have been nominated by their peers from fifteen schools around the city, to engage in a conversation on women's leadership and recent changes in the region. (Photo: UN Women/Karim Selmaoui.)

We are the newest agency of the United Nations and we devote ourselves to women's empowerment and gender equality.

Equality is not something that can be achieved by one organization alone.

Equality takes all of us.

From the government that changes it laws to the community that says NO to violence against women and girls, to the parents who teach their son and daughter that all human beings should be treated equally with dignity.

UN Women was established to deliver on the promise in the UN Charter of the equal rights of men and women.

I am very happy to be here in Morocco where reform steps are being taken for women's rights and for equality.

My two top priorities this year are advancing women's economic empowerment and political participation and leadership.

I understand that there are a lot of leaders here in Abidar Alghafari.

To each and every one of you, I encourage you to study hard and to take every opportunity that you can get to be the best leader you can be.

I say this because the world needs more women and youth leaders!

I look forward to our discussions.

I thank you.