Luanda - The Speaker of the National Assembly (AN), Carolina Cerqueira, on Monday in Luanda, defended the unity of female parliamentary class in fighting for women rights, social justice, peace and democracy in the world.
Carolina Cerqueira was speaking at the opening of the panel meeting of women parliamentarians, within the framework of the 147th General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), which the country hosts from the 23rd to the 27th of this month and whose opening takes place today evening, in Luanda.
She called for the promotion of social well-being and pointed out that conflicts around the world are a threat to peace, human dignity, stability and security.
According to the leader of the Angolan Parliament, women, on all continents and at all levels, have a voice against atrocities and in favor of global peace, which must be expressed and heard, which leads to equal opportunities and through cry for an end to conflicts and the escalation of war that “scares” the 21st century.
She stressed the importance of the role of parliamentarians in the defense of the “binomial justice and peace”, and hoped that the participants in the 147th meeting of the IPU will make the necessary contribution to raise their affirmation in this regard.
“We must be united by parliamentary action in defense of peace, justice, human dignity, talk about youth, the opportunities that our countries must provide through education, technical and technological training, especially young women”, she highlighted.
Carolina Cerqueira hoped that a firm voice would emerge from the meeting so that parliamentary action involves everyone in defending climate change, which is not harmful to sustainable development, the negative effects of the energy crisis, food and nutritional security, taking into account the effects of hunger worldwide.
She stressed the importance of women parliamentarians in joint and dynamic action for peace and justice, noting that it is women and children who are exposed to vulnerability in armed conflicts resulting from the most harmful and inhumane atrocities.
For this reason, she mentioned, as an example, the situation in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in the north of Mozambique and the escalation of conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, where a major humanitarian crisis is affecting the world.
In this context, she advocated that the legal systems of countries around the world should be more vigilant about equal rights, opportunities and effective equity for women, as well as aggravate crimes against domestic violence and violence against women and children.
On the other hand, the Speaker was pleased with the fact that the race for the Chairperson of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) involves four women; a point which is clear that there will be a woman in the leadership of the institution for the next three years.
“May consultation and dialogue lead us to a term of responsibility and assumption of our choice, always defending the dignified and highest values of democracy”, she asserted. VC/SC/TED/DOJ
