UNITED NATIONS, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Women are still vastly under-represented in leadership positions around the world, and it is high time to change it for good, said UN General Assembly President Maria Fernanda Espinosa on Friday.
Currently, only 5 percent of all heads of government and less than 5 percent of heads of state worldwide are female, she noted.
"Five percent, not good enough. It is high time to ensure more women get to positions of power," Espinosa told a news conference on the occasion of the International Women's Day.
"We all know by now that when women are leading, everybody wins," she added.
She said the topic will be discussed at next Tuesday's "Women in Power" high-level event at the General Assembly. "We will have an opportunity to ask questions directly to the heads of state and government."
Six women heads of state and government will be in New York for the event, together with other leaders, representatives of international organizations and civil society, said Espinosa.
Female leaders that will participate in Tuesday's event include the presidents of Croatia, Estonia, Lithuania, Nepal, and Trinidad and Tobago, the prime minister of Iceland, as well as the European Union's foreign and security policy chief Federica Mogherini, she added.
