That is the mission that brought thousands of us to Beijing, and bring us now to New York to celebrate the progress we have made in the last five years, and recommit ourselves to finishing the work of achieving women's equality. We have come to the UN, not only because we believe that all women and girls should be treated with dignity and respect, but also because we know no country today will ever get ahead if half of its citizens are left behind. Our movement is not about making each woman the same. It is about recognizing and appreciating women's diversity, and about treating each individual fairly. This principle is the magnet that has brought us together across the boundaries of ethnicity and vocation, generation and power.
International sisterhood is even more powerful.
But international sisterhood that takes our health into our own hands is unstoppable. That's what prevention is all about. That's what the UN conference is all about. And that's why we're here today. The result, in country after country, is smaller, healthier families enjoying longer happier lives.