The New Nation - Internet Edition

BUSINESS REPORT

To make a special effort to promote the Millennium Development Goal-3 (MDG3- to promote gender equality and empower women), Danish Minister for Development Cooperation Ms Ulla Ternres has established a MDG3 Champion Network. The Network consists of internationally prominent politicians, public and private sector leaders and civil society representatives. Besides advocating for women's empowerment and promoting the creation of a Global Coalition in support of the MDG3, the network will also launch the global MDG3 Champion Torch Campaign.

Bangladeshi Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr Muhammad Yunus is one of the several Global Champion Torchbearers. The Campaign was kicked off on March 7 in Copenhagen by Danish Minister for Development Cooperation Ms Ulla Ternres, where Dr Yunus lit the first torch from Bangladesh. In his commitment to do something extra, Professor Yunus will continue to empower women by providing more opportunities for women to benefit from the micro-credit. Now more than 100 MDG3 Torches are travelling around the world to promote women's empowerment and gender equality.

From Bangladesh former government Adviser and founder and managing director of an advertising firm in Dhaka Geeteara Safiya Choudhury is participating in the Global Network of prominent individuals who are ready to do something extra for the empowerment of women. Together with the rest of the network Geeteara Safiya Choudhury has committed to do something extra by advocating for women's rights all over the world and in Bangladesh.

As a part of the MDG3 Champion Torch Campaign, the Nobel Prize Winner, Professor Muhammad Yunus, in Bangladesh was handed over the first torch to support the initiative and commit to "Do Something Extra". In an informal occasion, Danish Ambassador Einar H Jensen handed over the MDG3 Torch to Professor Yunus at the Grameen Bank Office on May 7 last. Later, the MDG3 Torch was also handed over to Ms Geeteara Safiya Choudhury by Professor Yunus in the presence of the Danish Ambassador in Bangladesh.

A UN High level MDG meeting in September 2008 regarding the MDGs will be the target for the MDG3 Campaign, where the torch will be carried forward. In September 2008 Denmark will invite all UN members to participate in a special meeting, where the UN General Secretary, Ban Ki-Moon, will be invited to light the last torch and receive the result of the MDG3 Network's first task: 100 concrete and binding proposals on how women's situation can be improved.