HRC 62
Joint Statement
Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women and Girls
June 22nd, 2026
Thank you, Mr. President.
I deliver this statement on behalf of a cross-regional group of X countries.
Madam Rapporteur,
We recognize the importance of addressing violence and discrimination against women and girls.
We note that international human rights standards affirm States' obligations regarding maternity protection without formally defining the term "motherhood." We are concerned, therefore, that recommending States to adopt such a definition into national law, risks reinforcing the gender stereotypes that international human rights law seeks to dismantle, particularly the notion that women's roles are defined primarily by reproduction and caregiving. The harms described in the report are better understood as manifestations of gender-based discrimination and violence rooted in structural inequality and socially constructed gender roles, requiring an intersectional analytical approach.
An approach that is grounded in equality, non-discrimination, and bodily autonomy, would strengthen the mandate’s contribution to addressing the full scope of discrimination and violence affecting women and girls worldwide.
We encourage the Special Rapporteur and all mandate holders to ground their work in internationally established legal standards, with equality and non-discrimination as fundamental principles, and to ensure that their approaches encompass the full breadth of women and girls lived experiences.
Thank you.