Luanda - The President of the Republic of Angola João Lourenço reaffirmed on Friday, in Luanda, the Governments' commitment to the implementation of policies that adequately value the role of young women in society.
João Lourenço was speaking at the opening of the Conference of the Organization of First Ladies for Development (OPDAD) under the motto 'Education for Gender Equality and the Fight against Child and Youth Violence'.
The President emphasized the need to build an inclusive and dynamic society, assigning young women responsibilities within a framework of gender parity.
'By providing equal learning and training opportunities, we are equipping young women with tools that can help them bring out their full potential and thus contribute fully to building an inclusive and vibrant society,' he said.
He assured that this is the main objective of the Angolan Executive which, within the constraints and difficulties that the country still faces, has sought to implement policies that adequately value the role of women in society, attributing responsibilities to them within a framework of gender parity.
João Lourenço said it is essential to understand that the construction of societies 'in which we are in fact equal is part of a process in which rulers, politicians, social and cultural agents and citizens, in general, must assume in conscience a responsible and active role in the construction of this social architecture of modern times'.
In this regard, the Head of State recommended that there can no longer be any type of discrimination against economic or employment, access to education and health services and employment.
He urged the participants in the event to jointly identify and define the tools and methodologies that can help bridge the gap, among which he highlighted the gender gap, which still persists in the world in general and on the continent in particular, through an open and inclusive dialogue, which can help build a clear and convergent vision on the paths to be taken to ensure the building of societies where women and girls can feel inserted in circumstances of absolute equality.
The Head of State understands that it is not enough to formulate ideas and concepts that can theoretically be very well received, but that would fail in their applicability, due to the absence of mechanisms and norms that lead to a change in the mentalities of those who insist on offering resistance to good standards of social behavior.
He stressed that the campaign under the motto 'We Are All Equal', promoted by the Organization of African First Ladies for Development, 'forces us to think about the pillars on which this great idea will be based, with education playing the fundamental role in promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women from an early age'.
The President considered it important that education promotes values of respect, equality and diversity, to combat gender stereotypes and promote healthy relationships between them.
'It is important to act at the level of families, schools and communities, in order to permanently promote among young people, girls and boys, the culture of non-discrimination, so that the absurd idea of the superiority of men over women is eliminated, a prejudice that is almost always at the basis of physical and psychological violence, moral abuse and other abuses', pointed out.
Building an ideal model of societies
João Lourenço recognized, on the occasion, that the construction of an ideal model of inclusive and gender-equal societies requires a convergent effort between public and private institutions and civil society, where women and girls, aware of their rights and properly prepared on how to defend them, have a crucial role to play in terms of fearless denunciation to the competent authorities, of the practices of harassment and various abuses that affect them.
He recalled that it is necessary to always keep in mind the teachings of the recent history of humanity, which reports facts that show that relations between humans based on the idea of superiority, as was the case with slavery in the past, racism and religious fundamentalism today, do not contribute in any way to the social harmony necessary for the pooling of the efforts of all, in favor of progress and development.
He took the opportunity to urge the First Ladies, gathered in Luanda, to add their voices to those of millions of women in the world, calling for an immediate end to the conflicts in the DRC, Sudan, Ukraine and Palestine, in defense of the life and dignity of women and children, who, although defenseless and innocent, are undoubtedly the main victims of these wars.
He augured a fruitful working day, with results that can have a positive and lasting effect on the change in behaviors that must occur quickly 'to build a society in which we can really say that, really' 'We are all equal'. DC/VIC/DOJ
