Human Rights Council 48th Session
Annual Discussion on Integration of a Gender Perspective
27 September 2021
Delivered by Minister Counsellor Ms Anniken ENERSEN, Permanent Mission of Norway: Nordic-Baltic Statement
(Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden)
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Madam President,
I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Nordic-Baltic countries, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden and my own country Norway.
The Nordic-Baltic countries stress the importance of integration and implementation of a gender transformative perspective in the work of the Human Rights Council and the whole of the UN. Women and girls’ rights, their full, equal and meaningful participation, as well as eliminating intersecting and multiple forms of discrimination must be integrated into Human Rights Council resolutions, and mainstreamed in the work of Special Procedures and in the mandates of fact-finding and monitoring missions.
We thank the panel for highlighting how the technological transformation can have a substantial and positive impact on gender equality and women and girls’ enjoyment of human rights.
We have seen during the covid-19 pandemic examples of how women and girls have benefited from new technology, including better access to digital health services and education.
However, this is not equally available to every woman and girl. To reach the sustainable development goals, we must increase efforts to bridge the digital gender divide globally.
We must ensure equal access from a gender perspective, as well as for all children, so that everyone can benefit from information and communications technology, including capacity building and education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Further, we must ensure that online content does not discriminate against women and girls or promote gender stereotypes. Most important, we must address the challenges of online sexual- and gender-based violence, sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment.
How can we ensure a unified approach to gender equality and digital transformation in the UN, including at country level? And in fulfilling the ambitions in the Secretary General’s report Our Common Agenda?
Thank you.