EXHIBITION ENTITLED "ACHIEVEMENTS AND ADVANCEMENT MADE BY WOMEN OF MALAYSIA" LAUNCHED AT THE UNESCO,

PRESS RELEASE

14/06                                                                                                18 September 2006       

?ACHIEVEMENTS AND ADVANCEMENT MADE BY THE WOMEN OF

MALAYSIA?  EXHIBITION AT THE UNESCO, PARIS

-  18-21 SEPTEMBER 2006

The Permanent Delegation of Malaysia to UNESCO in Paris together with the Director General of the UNESCO hosted a four-day exhibition entitled ?Achievements and advancement made by Women of Malaysia? at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris from 18 to 21 September 2006. The exhibition is to showcase the achievements and advancement made by the women in Malaysia since independence in 1957.

The exhibition was officiated by the Honorable Dato? Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, Minister of Women, Family and Community Development on 18 September 2006. The Hon. Minister was in Paris on her return journey back to Kuala Lumpur after attending the 14^th Summit of the Non-Alignment Movement (NAM) in Havana, Cuba. Also present at the ceremony were H.E. Dato? S. Thanarajasingam, Ambassador of Malaysia to France; the Permanent Delegate of Malaysia to UNESCO, H.E. Ambassador Dato? Dr.  Sharifah Maimunah Syed Zin as well as the Deputy Director General of UNESCO, Mr. Marcio Barbosa, representing the Director General of UNESCO. More than 150 guests attended this opening ceremony and were treated to some refreshments of French and Malaysian hors d?oeuvre, such as curry-puffs, kueh bakar, and kueh ketayap.  

The text of the Hon. Minister?s speech has been released separately by the Minister?s office in Kuala Lumpur on 17 September 2006.

The Deputy Director General of UNESCO, Mr. Marcio Barbosa in his speech stated that UNESCO has always worked hard to promoting equality between men and women in all fields of competence, particularly in gender mainstreaming. This exhibition is timely given that the main thrust of the World Summit held last year was focussed on the promotion of gender equality as an integral element of the global fight against poverty.

Shifting from the global perspective, Mr. Marcio Barbosa then devoted half of his speech to pay tribute to the commitment of the Malaysian leaders and government in pursuing the promotion of Malaysian women?s rights, empowerment and equality since the country?s independence. Malaysian women have played an active role in the Malaysian society today. They are involved in every field, from the public service to the private sector, from arts and culture to science, engineering and medicine. He further noted that Malaysia has achieved significant progress in bridging the gap of inequality, particularly, among the disadvantage groups and women. 

Please find enclosed the copy of the Deputy Director General?s speech. The paragraphs mentioning the achievements made by the Malaysian women are highlighted in bold.

Embassy of Malaysia

Paris

18 September 2006