Women play a crucial role in the development of society and should therefore be respected, the head of the European Union Delegation in Uganda, Mr Vincent de Visscher has said.

Ambassador de Visscher who was yesterday receiving results of a children's drawing competition, which is part of a global competition organised by the European Commission on the theme, "Gender and Equality" said worldwide, women are treated differently from men because they ar considered inferior.

"We are living in world were women are mistreated and not recognised,"Mr deVisscher said.

The competition was launched to coincide with the International Women's Day which is celebrated on March 8 every year, largely aimed at expressing the EC's vision for gender equality.

Mr de Visscher said women and men should be given equal opportunities and privileges in work places and salaries, adding that gender equality should be made part of the curriculum and civil education.

A panel that comprised of children between the ages of eight to ten years, from Green Hill Academy was constituted to select the best drawing.

Ten of the best drawings will be sent to the European Commission headquarters in Brussels to be part of the global competition.

A prize of 1,000 Euros (Shs 2.4m) will be given to the two best drawings from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, Mediterranean and the Pacific.