The welcome releases of 62 detainees then (in June), with a further 22 – including journalist Braulio Jatar and judge (Maria) Lourdes Afiuni – set free yesterday and the authorities' acceptance of two human rights officers in the country, signify the beginning of positive engagement on the country's many human rights issues.

Michelle Bachelet

Categorized in : World

We simply can no longer afford to deny the full potential of one half of the population. The world needs to tap into the talent and wisdom of women. Whether the issue is food security, economic recovery, health, or peace and security, the participation of women is needed now more than ever.

Michelle Bachelet

recovery women wisdom

For me, a better democracy is a democracy where women do not only have the right to vote and to elect but to be elected.

Michelle Bachelet

empowering vote democracy

As more and more women, men and young people raise their voices and become active in local government, and more local leaders take action for the safety of women and girls, change happens.

Michelle Bachelet

voice girl men

Gender equality will only be reached if we are able to empower women.

Michelle Bachelet

gender-equality empowering able

It was said that Chile was not ready to vote for a woman, it was traditionally a sexist country. In the end, the reverse happened: the fact of being a woman became a symbol of the process of cultural change the country was undergoing.

Michelle Bachelet

vote country facts

Violence ravaged my life. I was a victim of hatred, and I have dedicated my life to reversing that hatred.

Michelle Bachelet

violence victim hatred

In some places women have all the rights they deserve and in others there are big restrictions - in some countries they even mutilate women.

Michelle Bachelet

restriction rights country

I believe that if you want to fight inequality you have to do it starting at infancy.

Michelle Bachelet

fighting want believe

My message to women is: Women: We can do it. We are capable of doing almost anything, but we must learn we cannot do it all at once, we need to prioritize.

Michelle Bachelet

prioritize messages needs

You have to be doing things that matter - responsibility, but also responsibility with epic and beautiful and noble tasks.

Michelle Bachelet

epic responsibility beautiful

Given political history in Chile, it seemed to me that there was a critical task of consolidating a democracy and creating healthy civic-military and political-military relationships.

Michelle Bachelet

creating political military

My father respected and admired my mother and was a person who was always standing by my side, encouraging me to do more and believed in my capacity. So in that sense, my own experience was very good in becoming an empowered woman. From early on, I carried that strong message: 'You can do it.' So I never had any doubt that women can do a lot.

Michelle Bachelet

encouraging strong mother

One of the factors a country's economy depends on is human capital. If you don't provide women with adequate access to healthcare, education and employment, you lose at least half of your potential. So, gender equality and women's empowerment bring huge economic benefits.

Michelle Bachelet

employment empowerment country

All boys and girls should have the opportunity to receive a high-quality education, no matter what part of the country they live in and irrespective of whether their parents are rich or poor. It is the state's duty to make sufficient money available for the establishment of good public schools. A well-educated youth is crucial so that Chile can continue to grow economically.

Michelle Bachelet

girl country school

As a doctor, when I was minister of health and would go somewhere, little girls would come up to me and say, 'I want to be like you one day, I want to be a doctor.' Now, they tell me, 'I want to be president just like you.' All of us can dream as big as we want.

Michelle Bachelet

doctors girl dream

I was a woman, a divorcee, a socialist, an agnostic . . . all possible sins together.

Michelle Bachelet

agnostic sin together

In today's interdependent world, a threat to one becomes a menace to all. And no state can defeat these challenges and threats alone.

Michelle Bachelet

challenges today world

Because I'm a doctor, I know when you have an injury it will heal if it's clean enough to heal; if your injury is dirty, it won't heal. And so when you are talking in societies, we are also talking in healing processes, and for a good healing process, you need to make things right.

Michelle Bachelet

doctors healing dirty

Women's strength, women's industry, women's wisdom are humankind's greatest untapped resource. The challenge then for U.N. Women is to show our diverse constituencies how this resource can be effectively tapped in ways that benefit us all.

Michelle Bachelet

benefits challenges way

I took a gamble to exercise leadership without losing my feminine nature.

Michelle Bachelet

feminine losing exercise