It is the very centre of global co-operation.

And now a Huddersfield woman has been at the very heart of it.

Interfaith leader Kiran Bali has returned to the United Nations to give an address on equality for women.

Ms Bali, of Fartown, addressed delegates of the 59th Session on the Status of Women at the UN headquarters in New York, this week.

The conference reviews the progress of the Beijing Declaration, which in 1995 set out targets for improving women’s rights in health, education, work and politics.

Ms Bali spoke about the role of religion in addressing gender inequality and the lack of female religious and political leaders.

It was a return visit to the UN as in February 2013, Ms Bali spoke about empowering women in front of 1,500 delegates at the UN to mark World Interfaith Harmony Week.

She said: “On many occasions our practices do not marry with the values of equality, justice and compassion that underpin our religious directions.

“An example is the growing violence against and abuse of women and girls in many religious communities whilst the women is considered the divine force in many traditions. Religious communities must introspect and lead by example.

“I alluded to the paucity of women as leaders in religious communities especially, as well as in governments and in the global media.

“Unfortunately the challenges are increasing in dimension and proportion and changing the status of women will improve the human condition.”

During her time in New York, Ms Bali joined other women on the front row of the ‘March in March’, a gender equality walk from the UN headquarters to Times Square.

The march called for the renewal of vows to improve equality and empower women with concrete, measurable results.

Ms Bali, 37, holds several roles.

She is the CEO of United Religions Initiative, a grassroots interfaith network for peace and justice which is active in 83 countries.

She is general secretary of the Hindu Society of Kirklees and Calderdale and she sits on the bench at Kirklees Magistrates Court.

In 2008, she was awarded an MBE by the Queen for her services to community relations in West Yorkshire.