Pope Francis said Sunday that governments and civil society have a fundamental duty to help ensure that women are able to accept the gift of life.

“Institutions, social and political, have the fundamental duty to protect and promote the dignity of every human being, offering women, the bearers of life, the necessary conditions to be able to accept the gift of life and ensure a dignified existence for their children,” Pope Francis said on March 10.

Speaking from the window of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace, the pope said at the end of his Angelus address that he wanted to express his closeness to all women after International Women’s Day, especially those whose dignity is not respected.

“There is still a lot of work that each of us must do in order for there to be concrete recognition of the equal dignity of women,” Francis added.