Remarks by H.E. Mr. Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly

1 December 2021

 

Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen,

I thank the Dominican Republic and the Netherlands for jointly hosting this discussion.

The topic is most apt: how can we engage men and boys as allies in the fight against gender-based violence?

Violence against women and girls is violence. Full stop.

It is not somebody else’s problem. This is OUR collective problem, and one that we cannot tolerate.

Violence negatively affects women’s general well-being and prevents women from fully participating in society.

It impacts their families, their community, and the country at large.

It has tremendous costs, from greater strains on health care to legal expenses and losses in productivity.

Men and boys must be allies in this fight against gender-based violence.

They can educate each other.

They can listen and understand.

They can learn that violence, in the broadest terms, includes harassment and intimidation, which far too many women and girls suffer from.

Together we must learn how to hear each other and support each other.

How do we support survivors?

Ladies and gentlemen,

It starts with each and every one of us.

We must each take a stand and speak up.

We must create awareness and change mindsets.

We must challenge rape culture.

Listen to girls and women’s experiences, and importantly what they are proposing as solutions.

Parents, educators, coaches, policymakers, and the media… all have a collective role to play in challenging stereotypes, in demonstrating support for victims and championing the need for allies.

Dear friends,

I won’t pretend to know all of the answers or to tell women how we can close the gender gap.

But I do know, as a man, that I can be supportive.

I have the humility to listen and learn.

And I have been graced with the power to implement change.

Each of us must look inward and see what we can do.

We must ask ourselves: are we part of the problem? Are we part of the solution? Or are we mere bystanders?

Going forward, lets recognize that all forms of violence against women and girls must be priorities on the agenda of the public and private sectors.

We need to eliminate harmful stereotypes and cultural norms that allow violence to be tolerated.

We need to leverage the transformative power of education to promote espect for diversity and raise awareness on the harm of gender stereotypes for societies.

As President of the General Assembly, I commit to do everything I can to eliminate violence against women… and to engage men and boys to do the same.

I thank you