(ANSA) - Milan, October 13 - Women in Parliaments (WIP) presented a document at Expo on Tuesday defending the rights of women "to land, property, inheritance and control of natural resources".
    The 'declaration' will be handed to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon during his official visit to the Universal Exposition on October 16.
    Under the initiative, WIP's approximately 9,000 members worldwide commit to promoting women's empowerment in their respective parliaments, with a specific focus on rural development. This is "a fundamental step towards improving their working and living conditions and, through their participation, meeting broader objectives for sustainable development," WIP founder Silvana Koch-Mehrin said.
    "Globally over 90% of government positions are held by men, as are 80% of seats in parliament," said ex foreign minister and Radical Party leader Emma Bonino. "Bringing together those women who are able to take political decisions around the gender gap may help open doors further for the next generations," she added.