BEIJING+25
Accelerating the realization of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls
Mr Speaker,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Twenty-five years ago, we made a commitment to take bold action to achieve gender equality.
To create a world where girls and boys, women and men have the same rights, the same access, the same opportunities.
A world where it is your individuality and your talents that define who you are, not your gender.
A world where women and men are paid equally for work of equal value, with a balanced distribution of a household’s daily tasks.
Progress has been made, but it is clear that no country has fully achieved the Beijing Platform for Action. The time has come to further translate our commitments into concrete actions to make human rights a reality for all women and girls.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
For too long, gender-based violence has not been a priority.
Too many women in the world are dying just because they are women.
This reality is intolerable.
At the same time, the pandemic will have seen a significant increase in cases of sexual violence, domestic violence, bullying and harassment, not to mention online violence.
Full access to sexual and reproductive health and rights remains essential.
More generally, discrimination, stereotypes and sexism must be fought in all areas of life, from private life to the workplace, including the digital world and emerging forms of artificial intelligence.
They must be fought from an early age, mainly through parenting, the education system and the media.
Our political commitment remains essential for gender mainstreaming in all of our actions. This benefits men and boys as well as women and girls.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
No tradition, religion, cultural value or custom can ever justify gender discrimination, gender-based violence or violations of the rights of women and girls. The objective is clear, the time has come: we must take action in favour of gender equality. And we must leave no one behind.