As a boy growing up in post-war Korea I remember askingabout a tradition I observed: women going into labour wouldleave their shoes at the threshold and then look back in fear. “They are wondering if they will ever step into those shoesagain” my mother explained.

More than a half-century later the memory continues to haunt me. In poor parts of the worldtoday women still risk death in the process of giving life. Maternal mortality is one of manypreventable perils. All too often female babies are subjected to genital mutilation. Girls are attackedon their way to school. Women’s bodies are used as battlefields in wars. Widows are shunned andimpoverished.

We can only address these problems by empowering women as agents of change.

For more than nine years I have put this philosophy into practice at the United Nations. We haveshattered so many glass ceilings we created a carpet of shards. Now we are sweeping away theassumptions and bias of the past so women can advance across new frontiers.

I appointed the first-ever female Force Commander of United Nations troops and pushedwomen’s representation at the upper levels of our Organization to historic highs.  Women are nowleaders at the heart of peace and security – a realm that was once the exclusive province of men.When I arrived at the United Nations there were no women leading our peace missions in the field.Now nearly a quarter of all UN missions are headed by women – far from enough but still a vastimprovement.

I have signed nearly 150 letters of appointment to women in positions as Assistant Secretary-General or Under-Secretary-General. Some came from top government offices with internationalrenown others have moved on to leadership positions in their home countries. All helped meprove how often a woman is the best person for a job.

To ensure that this very real progress is lasting we have built a new fr<x>amework that holds theentire UN system accountable. Where once gender equality was seen as a laudable idea now it is afirm policy. Before gender sensitivity training was optional; now it is mandatory for ever-greaternumbers of UN staff. In the past only a handful of UN budgets tracked resources for genderequality and women’s empowerment; now this is standard for nearly one in three and counting.

Confucius taught that to put the world in order we must begin in our own circles. Armed withproof of the value of women leaders at the United Nations I have spoken out for women’sempowerment everywhere. In speeches at parliaments universities and street rallies in privatetalks with world leaders in meetings with corporate executives and in tough conversations withpowerful men ruling rigidly patriarchal societies I have insisted on women’s equality and urgedmeasures to achieve it.

When I took office there were nine parliaments in the world with no women. We helped to drivethat number down to four. I launched the UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign in2008; today scores of leaders and ministers hundreds parliamentarians and millions of individualshave added their names to the action call.

I was the first man to sign our HeForShe campaign and more than a million others have joinedsince. I stood with activists calling for the abandonment of female genital mutilation and celebratedwhen the General Assembly adopted its first-ever resolution supporting that goal. I am echoing thecalls of many who know women can drive success in achieving our bold 2030 Agenda forSustainable Development and advancing the Paris Agreement on climate change.

On this International Women’s Day I remain outraged by the denial of rights to women and girls –but I take heart from the people everywhere who act on the secure knowledge that women’sempowerment leads to society’s advancement. Let us devote solid funding courageous advocacyand unbending political will to achieving gender equality around the world. There is no greaterinvestment in our common future.

Ban Ki-moon