53rd session of the Human Rights Council
Annual full-day discussion on the human rights of women
Panel 1 - Gender-based violence against women and girls in public and political life.
Geneva, 30 June 2023
Thank you, Mister President.
I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Nordic-Baltic countries.
Over the past few decades, there has been significant normative progress towards eliminating violence against women and girls and sexual and gender-based violence. However, more often than not this has not translated in tangible results. Every day, women and girls around the world continue to experience sexual and gender-based violence in public spaces, including sexual harassment, rape, domestic violence, and femicide. This has a significant negative effect on the ability of women and girls to exercise their rights and participate in school, work, and public life, and negatively impacts their health, including their sexual and reproductive health and rights, and well-being. This particularly concerns armed conflicts.
International human rights law guarantees the right of women and girls – in all their diversity – to participate in political and public life. It is the obligation of States to remove all structural barriers preventing their participation, including the disproportionate share of unpaid care work, gender stereotypes, negative social norms and sexual and gender-based violence.
Girls face particular challenges due to misconceptions about children’s right to participation in political and public life, restrictions on their autonomy, disregard for their best interests, and paternalistic control, among others.
Dear panellists, can you share some of the best practices in empowering girls to participate in public and political life and addressing the challenges to girls’ participation, including violence against women and girls?
Thank you.