UN chief urges more investment in women for development and peace

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- Moon on Thursday called for greater investment in women and girls which will help further economic growth and advance development.

"Investing in women is not only the right thing to do. It is the smart thing to do," Ban told a commemorating event at the UN Headquarters for the International Women's Day, which falls today.

"I am deeply convinced that, in women, the world has at its disposal the most significant and yet largely untapped potential for development and peace," he said.

He stressed that gender equality is not only a goal in itself, but a prerequisite for reaching all the other international development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Noting that Governments are increasingly creating an enabling environment for investing in women, Ban said there is still "a long way to go".