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The electronic version of this document has been prepared at the Fourth
World Conference on Women by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
in collaboration with the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women
Secretariat.
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AS WRITTEN


SPEECH BY MRS. BERIT BR0RBY LARSEN
REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE NORDIC COUNCIL
BEIJING-SEPTEMBER. 95


Madam Chair,
dear colleagues,
ladies and gentlemen

We are living through a time, when we are reminded every day of the
horrors of war and violent crime, of social distress and we understand
how vulnerable our social, political, economic and ecological systems
are. I would therefore call on governments to rethink how to protect
their most vulnerable populations at a time of shrinking recources and
of accelerated global competition.

Governments must respect basic human rights. That includes the rights of
women to be protected from exploitation and abuse.

Although women represent 52 % of the world's population, although we are
the primary care-takers for children and aged persons, and are a
significant part of the work-force, we continue to be marginalized in
many countries around the world.

We have experienced that investing in the health and education of women
and girls is essential to improving global prosperity. We must all work
harder to ensure equal rights for women along with equal pay and access
to freedom, health-care and education. Sufficient availability of
financial resources is essential in order to promote women in
development. Investment in women will not only benefit the individual
and her family, it will benefit the local community and the national
economy. Studies show that investment in women also has a very positive
effect on the children and thereby on the future society.

It is of vital importance that government and individuals respect the
rights of the children. World-wide, more than 2/3 of the children who
never attend school or have dropped out of schools are girls - 2/3 of
the one billion people who remain illiterate are women. And an
overwhelming number of those living in absolute poverty are women and
giros.

Throughout their entire life cycle, women's daily existence and long
term aspirations are restricted by discriminatory attitudes, unjust
social and economic structures, and a lack of resources in most
countries that prevent their full and equal participation in society. In
a number of countries, the practice of prenatal sex selection, higher
rates of mortality among very young girls and lower rates of school
enrolment for girls as compared with boys suggest that “Son-preference”
is a limitation to the access of girl-children to food, education and
health care and even to life itself. Discrimination against women begins
even before birth. Every effort must be made to combat such
discrimination.

Counselling and access to sexual and reproductive health information and
services for adolescents are still inadequate or lacking completely, and
a young woman's rights to privacy, confidentiality, respect and informed
consent is often not considered taking into account the parent's
responsibilities. Young girls are both biologically and psychologically
more vulnerable than boys to sexual abuse, violence and prostitution,,
and to the consequences of unprotected sexual relations. The trend many
countries to early sexual experience, combined with a lack of
information and services, increases the risk of unwanted and too early
pregnancy, HIV-infection and other sexually transmitted diseases as well
as unsafe abortions.

We need to recognise the reproductive rights as a basic right of all
couples are individuals to decide freely and responsibly the number,
spacing and timing of their children and to have the information and
means to do so, as well as right to attain the highest standard of
sexual and reproductive health. This includes their right to make
decisions concerning reproductions free of discrimination and violence
as expressed in the human rights documents.

In the Nordic countries we share a common welfare model, which is based
on good housing, healthy food, equal opportunities for education and
training, good working conditions, pollution-control and adequate
health-care services. conditions, pollution control, and adequate
healthcare services. But it must be underlined that the Nordic model is
a framework and that the five Nordic countries, Denmark, Norway,
Finland, Iceland, and Sweden show varieties in their systems.

The Nordic legislation on gender issues has developed during the last 50
years and is now at a very advanced state. However reality does not
always meet the expectations stated by the laws.

Gender equality is a goal, but we must not forget that we must work hard
to achieve results, that it is an ongoing process all the time. Even if
Nordic women enjoy the highest representation in national government in
the world, this does not mean that women are equally represented in the
decision-making process and in top positions in industry, media and
finance circles. In order to carry out the results of this conference we
must not forget that most national governments and administrations are
still male dominated and therefore not eager to leave more influence and
power to women.

The Nordic Council recently adopted its 4th program, a collaboration-
program on equality-issues and women-issues from 1995 - 2000, as a
recommendation to the governments for implementation.

Our hope is that by the year 2000 mainstreaming will be a natural
component in all political areas as well as in peoples' job-positions
and private life.

In the program the Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers
the most important goal within the next five years is:

To integrate gender aspects in all branches of politics and to change
attitudes at the work place as well as in the homes.

Finally, I would like to draw your attention to the serious problem of
child labour.

No child should be deprived its childhood, its opportunity to play with
other children, its possibilities for proper education and a healthy
life. To  avoid child labour in all parts of the world it is our
responsibility to take action now. Most countries have ratified the
Convention of the Rights of the Child. But do we all live up to our
responsibilities. I ask you ?

Thank you for your attention!.