REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, NEW YORK -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday called on world leaders to take actions as well as make commitment to secure gender equality throughout the world.

At a summit on gender equality and women's empowerment here at the UN headquarters, Ban said the world cannot achieve sustainable development without full and equal rights for half of the world's population, in law and in practice.

Noting this year marks the 20th anniversary of the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, Ban said, "While we have progressed in many areas, we still have a long way to go."

"Far too many women and girls continue to be discriminated against, subjected to violence, denied equal opportunities in education and employment, and excluded from positions of leadership and decision-making," he noted.