President highlights gender inequality at Turkish summit

President Michael D Higgins has strongly condemned global leaders for their failure to address the growing problem of gender inequality.

In a powerful speech at the World Humanitarian Summit Mr Higgins said the divide is worsening and continuing as we are is not an option.

The President said the conference, attended by 150 political leaders, must ensure commitments “constitute much more than compassionate words on a page yet again”.

He said: “At this moment, rape continues to be persistently used and has increased as a weapon of war; shameful rates of maternal and infant malnutrition persist in many countries; in others, women have no rights or means to control their own fertility.

"The position of women in transit and their acute vulnerability to exploitation and violence, as well as the vulnerability of their children to denial of basic rights to health and education – in Europe and elsewhere – is a cause for the greatest concern."

Mr Higgins said it is not sufficient to make statements about the need for change.

Gender equality is a right, he told the summit, and a healthy society is not achievable if women and girls are marginalised. Mr Higgins said every nation has a role to play in achieving gender equality, including Ireland.

“Ireland specifically commits to promote the empowered participation of women, in particular in situations of fragility and protracted crises.

“We will ensure that the promotion of universal access to reproductive healthcare is included in our humanitarian action,” he said.

Mr Higgins did not wish to be drawn on whether that should stretch to changing the eighth amendment of the Irish Constitution.

The President’s wife, Sabina, made a strong intervention in the debate but when asked Mr Higgins said it would not be appropriate for him to discuss the issue.

Abuse allegations

Mr Higgins also expressed his revulsion at allegations women and children were abused by

United Nations

peacekeepers. The UN said it has received 44 reports of sexual abuse by staff in UN missions involving 40 minors.

Mr Higgins said this violence is being perpetrated by those sent to protect and support the most vulnerable of our sisters.

He will travel home today after the two-day summit, where his contributions have been widely praised.

Despite initial hesitations about attending, Mr Higgins said it had been a worthwhile experience.

British prime minister David Cameron, United States president Barack Obama, French president François Hollande and Russian president Vladimir Putin did not attend. Mr Higgins said their absence provided space for others to challenge them.

He said: “The point is, an advantage was taken of the absence of the big figures. If the big five had been there they might have distracted from what turned out to be valuable contributions. There were clear challenges put to the five. Some of them, including myself, included in these the abuse of the veto.

“How could you justify using the veto when you hear what is being told to you about what are basic threats to humanitarian law and the right to live in any kind of dignity.”