marriage and genital mutilation, and introduce harsher penalties for rape, incest and other such crimes: Stand by us in the name of and on our behalf of your mothers and daughters and sisters.
• We have stumbled and fallen because we are human: Be there to pick us up and help us to regain our footing.
• Our personal path through politics to Parliament has been difficult and even fraught with danger: Encourage us and make a promise to yourselves to be more supportive of women candidates in the future.
• We are next in line to make our contribution to a debate and we tell you that we have been up all night caring for our sick child: Step in and accommodate.
We are not enemies. Sharing the space in this universe as we do, we
are partners in development, unity, peace and progress. Ultimately we have much more in common than we may have differences. I urge you, our male Parliamentarians – and our female Parliamentarians too – to remember always: Whatever one gender can do, two genders together can do even better. And so, as 2012 is beginning, I wish all Commonwealth
Parliamentarians a peaceful, harmonious, healthy and prosperous New Year. I also extend special season's greetings and the wish for a fruitful, collaborative New Year to the CPA Chairperson and my other colleagues on the CPA Executive Committee, and to the Secretary-General and the CPA Secretariat staff.