The events range from small random informal gatherings to large-scale highly organised events to celebrate women’s advancement while highlighting the need for continued vigilance and action. A good number of Governments around the world, have made commitments to promote gender equality, by among other things, taking initiatives to integrate gender perspectives into national budgets or development plans in order to reflect the differentiated needs of women and men. Zambia is no exception. In Zambia, it is recognised that the creation of the Ministry of Gender and Women in Development, is a deliberate effort by the Government to ensure that the needs of women are addressed. Through the Ministry we are able to recognise the strides that have been made by women in national development and we look ahead to the challenges that are before us as we strive to achieve our goal of gender equality. In addition, Zambia is a signatory to the SADC Declaration on Gender and Development. This declaration calls for the equal representation of women and men in the decision making process of member states at all levels. I must concede here that, although we have made significant strides as a country in women representation, more still needs to be done. We are however encouraged that there are a good number of women with potential and ability to rise above any form of challenge.
Jean-Pierre Roth: Fifteen months of financial crisis – a status report Summary of a speech by Mr Jean-Pierre Roth, Chairman of the Governing Board of the Swiss National Bank and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bank for International Settlements, at the Associazione Bancaria Ticinese, Centro di Studi Bancari, Vezia, 3 December 2008. The complete speech can be found in French on the Swiss National Bank’s website (www.snb.ch). *  *  *  The financial crisis broke out a little over fifteen months ago. The magnitude of the turmoil experienced by the financial industry has been greater than all the forecasts. So far, our entire attention has been focused on the problems of the financial industry, while the real economy appeared to be passing through this difficult period without too many problems. We now realise that this view was deceptive: the situation in the non-financial sector is deteriorating substantially. This could lead to new challenges in 2009. After having benefitted extensively from the international expansion of the past few years, we are currently experiencing the consequences of a widespread recession. This situation is difficult for our country, but we may be better placed than others for coping with it. BIS Review 150/2008  1