– As delivered –
Remarks by H.E. Mr. Volkan Bozkir, President of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly
15 March 2021
Mr. Secretary-General,
Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Representatives of civil society,
I commend the Bureau, all delegations, as well as civil society representatives, and UN Women, for their tireless work throughout negotiations, over the past few weeks.
Your work, builds upon the commitments made at the high-level meeting on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference of Women, where 160 Member States shared their plans to accelerate the realization of gender equality, and the empowerment of all women and girls.
Since this meeting, I have established an Advisory Group on Gender Equality, and consulted with the Group of Friends on Gender Parity – including the more than 50 women who serve here as Permanent Representative to the United Nations – in order to mainstream gender equality throughout the work of the General Assembly. I also intend to engage with civil society on this issue in the coming weeks.
My work so far has led me to one concrete conclusion: we can only truly achieve gender equality if we ensure the full and effective participation of women in decision-making.
Today, only one in four parliamentarians, are women. It is clear that under-representation in decision-making processes has led to the specific needs of women being overlooked.
However, we must ask ourselves: how can we expect laws to empower women and girls, when women lawmakers themselves, are subjected to online, psychological, physical and sexual violence?
Attempts to discourage women from exercising their right to vote and to seek election are pervasive, and have profound intergenerational consequences.
Over the years, the General Assembly has adopted many resolutions on this issue, including:
- the Universal Declaration on Human Rights,
- the Convention on the Political Rights of Women,
- the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women,
- resolutions 58/142, 66/130, 73/148.
The Membership has also considered several reports presented by the Secretary-General, and the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women.
Yet, we have not found a solution.
For no woman should feel the need, to justify her presence.
Or make herself smaller, so that others are comfortable.
Or fear expressing herself, exercising her right to vote, or seeking election to public office.
No woman should be under threat, underpaid, or underestimated.
Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
If we are to create change, we need to move beyond rhetoric.
Part of the problem is, that the majority of incidents go unreported, due to stigma, and outdated patriarchal norms, which are often perpetuated, by the media.
I call here, on all Member States to:
- Strengthen legislation against gender-based violence;
- Establish reporting and redress mechanisms, for victims;
- Commit to data collection, election observation, and violence monitoring;
- And consider special and well-designed gender targets.
Furthermore, I ask all Permanent Representatives here today, to join me in becoming an International Gender Champion, for which I wear a pin with honour and pride.
I ask journalists, to end gender-based stereotyping, and gendered media coverage, of women in politics and public life.
For no woman should feel the need, to justify her presence.
Or make herself smaller, so that others are comfortable.
Or fear expressing herself, exercising her right to vote, or seeking election to public office.
No woman should be under threat, underpaid, or underestimated.
Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Representatives of civil society,
Make no mistake – we will not achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, without guaranteeing women’s full and effective participation and decision-making in public life, as well as, the elimination of violence everywhere.
Here in this room, we have the power, to create a better world for all.
The General Assembly itself, represents what many thought to be impossible, seventy-five years ago.
Today, I urge you to be bold.
To make possible, what some may deem ‘impossible’.
To emulate, the resilience of women around the world, in whose name we work.
Together, we can become Generation Equality.
I thank you for giving me this opportunity to address you today and I wish you all the best in your endeavors in this very important meeting throughout these days ahead.
