21 November 2008: UN Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro, in an address to the Sixth African Development Forum, emphasized that, while many African countries have experienced economic growth in recent years, glaring gender disparities remain.

She highlighted that the crises of climate change, global financial
turmoil, and high food and fuel prices have the potential to widen
these gender inequalities. She pointed to the responsibility of most
African women for the household water supply and energy for cooking and
heating, as well as their vulnerability, and called for moving beyond
short-term solutions to address the underlying causes of these
inequalities by, inter alia, improving access to clean energy sources.
She also stressed the need for greater involvement of women in the
decision-making processes addressing climate change, and the food,
energy and financial crises.
The Forum convened in Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia, from 19-21 November 2008. [UN Press Release]