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article_snippet: UN officials today said much has been achieved under the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, signed by 189 governments in 1995 as a pledge for realizing women's rights.
article_snippet: However, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the gains have been too slow and uneven.
article_snippet: Ban Ki-moon said the most urgent issue is rape being used as a war weapon, from Nigeria  to Iraq and Syria.
article_snippet: McCray pointed to universal prekindergarten, paid sick leave and other causes that McCray husband has emphasized as a mark of progress for women in New York City.
article_snippet: In November, New York joined the UN's Safe Global Cities Initiative, which works to combat sexual harassment and sexual violence in public places.