Check against delivery
Mr. Chair,
2030 is not far ahead.
We have seen progress, but we are far from reaching the ambitious goals we have set ourselves. Next year we will commemorate that 25 years ago we committed to the Declaration and Platform for Action in Beijing. Many of the pressing issues of Beijing are still to be resolved.
Every day, women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. Girls are kept out of school and married away to older men. Women find it difficult to enter the labour market. And women and girls are victims of violence, abuse and sexual harassment.
Gender equality is our most valuable investment. It drives economic growth and sustainable development. It has been decisive for Norway's development from poverty to today's prosperous economy. And it will be equally profitable for other countries. No country can afford not to make use of all its human resources. Failure to promote women's participation in paid work means wasting half of a country's skills and capacity. Norway's experience indeed shows that it pays off to invest in women's and girls' participation.
Mr. Chair,
Reaching the Sustainable Development Goal on gender equality will help us reach the other goals. For example, child mortality rates fall when mothers have an education.Investing in quality education, particularly for girls, is the single most effective way of promoting sustainable development.
Norway is allocating approximately 448 million US dollars to global education in 2019. And in 2019, we are increasing our support to girls education by nearly 5.5 million US dollars.
To promote and fulfill sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and women – as well as men and boys – is a high priority for Norway. Norway is increasing our investments in SRHR by approximately 85 million dollars between 2017 and 2020. This comes on top of an already large annual investment.
Boys and girls must have access to comprehensive sexuality education to make good choices for themselves.
Now is the time to deliver on our goals. Time is running out. Let us all bear in mind that gender equality is not a policy option. It is grounded in human rights, in the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development and in the Beijing Platform for Action. It is the only way forward towards a more just world where men and women have the same economic opportunities and are equal before the law.
Thank you.