He expressed the hope that the Conference, which is being held at the invitation of the Indian Parliament, would help focus public attention on this issue. Moreover, he said, national groups for women s emancipation could draw guidance and inspiration from the international movement . Sorour recalled that the IPU had been working for a long time to promote the status of women in politics and had already adopted a Plan of Action to correct imbalances in the participation of men and women in political life. He said the Conference would be 'result-oriented' . The ultimate objective is democracy itself,' Sorour said.
Democracy is enriched by differences.
It is even based on differences. Women are natural managers' , he said, and 'society is but an aggregate of families' . Women should not be confined to the family but should be inducted into politics so that society and governance are managed better, without leaving politics to be the hunting ground for men. Sangma also said that political participation, whether of men or women, is 'a natural human activity and a basic human right' . He pledged to do his utmost to attain equal representation in the UN Secretariat staff, particularly at the higher levels.