While delivering the keynote address at the 2015 Women in the World Summit in New York City last month, Hillary Clinton, Democratic presidential candidate, said that deep-rooted religious beliefs, cultural codes and structural biases must change if women truly want to have access to reproductive health care.

“Yes, we’ve cut the maternal mortality rate in half, but far too many women are still denied critical access to reproductive health care and safe childbirth,” Clinton said. “All the laws we’ve passed don’t count for much if they’re not enforced. Rights have to exist in practice, not just paper. Laws have to be backed up with resources and political will. And deep-seated cultural codes, religious beliefs and structural biases have to be changed.”

She went on to explain how the advancement of the full participation of girls and women in all aspects of their societies can be looked upon as the great unfinished business of this century.

She also said that the economy would grow by 10 percent within the next 15 years only if the gap between men and women in workplaces was to be done away with. Before concluding, she also drew attention to the utter lack of quality but affordable childcare, unfair work schedules, unequal payment policies and several other issues that generally affect women.

Photo Credits: The Washington Post