UNITED NATIONS — Iceland is announcing a U.N. conference on women and gender equality — and only men and boys are invited.
The country’s foreign affairs minister told the U.N. General Assembly of world leaders on Monday that the January “barbershop” conference will be unique, “as it will be the first time at the United Nations that we bring together only men leaders to discuss gender equality.”
Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson said the meeting will have a special focus on violence against women.
He said the conference convened by his country and Suriname will be an “exceptional contribution” to events marking the 20th anniversary of a landmark U.N. conference on women in Beijing.
“We want to bring men and boys to the table on gender equality in a positive way,” he said.
Iceland and Suriname are leading a group of countries to stir up support for gender equality as the anniversary of the landmark Beijing meeting approaches.
The 1995 U.N. women’s conference featured Hillary Rodham Clinton, then first lady, galvanizing global leaders with her now-famous declaration that “women’s rights are human rights.” Nearly 190 countries adopted a platform to achieve equality for women, which has become the blueprint for action by the global community on the issue.
Earlier this year, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Clinton will play an important role in next year’s anniversary celebration, and Clinton said she looks forward to working with Ban on an issue “of such great global importance.”
At a separate event this year, Clinton said that in the nearly two decades since Beijing, “women and girls still comprise the majority of the world’s unhealthy, unfed and unpaid.” She urged the U.N. to include gender equality at the forefront of its new goals to promote development.
Iceland and Suriname fall at nearly opposite ends of global rankings on women’s rights. The Global Gender Gap Report 2013 compiled by the World Economic Forum ranked Iceland top in gender equality in economic, health and other matters. Suriname, the tiny South American country, was ranked 110th.
The Forum hosts the annual gathering of global business and political leaders in the Swiss ski resort of Davos every winter.
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