More countries have understood that women's equality is a prerequisite for development.

Gender equality is more than a goal in itself. It is a precondition for meeting the challenge of reducing poverty, promoting sustainable development and building good governance.

More countries have understood that women's equality is a prerequisite for development.

There is no development strategy more beneficial to society as a whole - women and men alike - than the one which involves women as central players.

There are now 11 women heads of state or government, in countries on every continent. And three countries -- Chile, Spain and Sweden -- now have gender parity in government.

If information and knowledge are central to democracy, they are conditions for development.