Minister of Culture and Equality Lubna Jaffery’s statement during the general debate of the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women
14. Chair, March 2024
The moment has come to guarantee that no woman or girl is left behind.
By 2030, we, the United Nations’ member states, pledge to eradicate poverty, attain gender parity, and provide all women and girls with equal opportunities for empowerment. We are still far short of our objectives in spite of this.
Poverty rates are higher for women. those from indigenous and ethnic minorities, as well as those with disabilities, lag behind the most.
Millions of women and girls around the world are impacted by wars and conflicts. Women and girls are subjected to unimaginable cruelty, including sexual violence related to battle, in both the Gaza War and Russia’s war against Ukraine.
We demand that women be protected and given full, equal, and meaningful involvement in all conflict and peace-related procedures.
The underlying reason of women and children’s vulnerability to human trafficking and prostitution exploitation is poverty.
It is concerning that democracy is regressing globally. The obviously well-organized pushback against sexual and reproductive health and rights, as well as gender equality, gravely concerns us. Both within states and in international forums, this occurs.
Respecting fundamental freedoms and human rights by democratic governments is the best defense against violence, conflict, and war.
Trade unions and civil society organizations are essential for advancing equality, eradicating poverty, and encouraging welfare. Our support for them is essential.
In order to achieve economic growth, sustainable development, and wealthy, peaceful societies, women must actively participate in politics and the economy.
Chair
Ensuring that every child has access to a high-quality education is essential to ending poverty.
Educating girls is an urgently needed and smart investment, for girls and societies. Education increases women’s employment, political participation, economic independence, and tax revenues for states. Education reduces child-, early- and forced marriages, early pregnancies and sexual and gender-based violence.
Religion and so-called traditional values are used as an excuse to deprive girls and women of their rights.
Legal restrictions on abortion do not result in fewer abortions – they just make abortions less safe and put women’s lives at risk.
We have to work together to end child, early, and forced marriages. And we have to stop doing risky abortions.
Every girl and woman ought to have unrestricted control over her own life and body.
We are aware of what it takes to make decisions on policy that hasten the process of eradicating poverty and ensuring equitable, sustainable development for everybody.
We must immediately step up our efforts to address the issues of inequality and climate change.
Due to their interdependence and mutual exacerbation, these crises need to be tackled concurrently.
More capital must be mobilized than we have up to this point.
In order to limit the fiscal space available for investments aimed at addressing the issues faced by women and girls living in poverty, we must combat the illicit money flows that deplete essential tax revenues.
In addition, we need to make sure that women and girls gain from higher tax collections and improve coordination in international tax concerns.
In order to address the current global issues, women must fully, equally, and meaningfully participate in the process.
Thus, it is imperative that the significance of advancing gender equality be emphasized and included into all UN texts, including all of the Pact for the Future’s chapters.
The moment has come to guarantee that no woman or girl is left behind.