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

7 June 2022

 

Excellencies,

I would like to start by thanking the International Gender Champions Network for organizing this event, and for their kind invitation to this launch of the Impact Group on the “Ocean”, whose aims I can do nothing but commend.

I believe that working at the intersection of sustainable development goals 5 and 14 – gender equality and climate action – is of utmost importance.

The ocean covers 70% of our planet’s surface and is home to over 80% of all life, making it the largest biosphere in the world. Yet, its health is rapidly deteriorating.

It is becoming warmer, higher, and more acidic – drastically limiting its ability to sustain life underwater and on land.

Although a vast majority of the ocean remains unknown to us, we do know that current human activities exert an extreme and unsustainable pressure on the ocean.

As we work to stifle the negative impacts of the strain placed on our ocean, ensuring the inclusion of all voices is essential.

While women are engaged in all aspects of the ocean from fishing to conservation, yet their voices are often missing from decision-making roles.

While it is a fact that half of seafood workers worldwide are female and they play an essential role in supplying marine food for three billion people who depend on it for their daily source of protein, yet, across the supply chain, there is substantial segregation of work and pay by gender, with women all-too-often denied a voice in fisheries management.

Unconscious bias, involvement in low-paying jobs at sea, and the added burden of care responsibilities limit the opportunities for women.

We must empower women. They can protect our oceans and marine resources. They have the potential to be powerful agents of change.

Facilitating access to capacity building, financing, and decision-making positions could enable women to play a more important role in marine conservation.

In the case of microfinance initiatives, women have better protected marine ecosystems by prioritizing business sustainability.

While it is heartening to note that female scientists represent on average 38% of researchers in ocean science, about 10% higher than science overall, more needs to be done.

Going forward, it is vital that we incorporate a gender-lens in policy-making.

We need to ensure women’s full integration in the blue economy and support networks of women within the marine and aquaculture sector.

We must improve data collection on the impact of ocean degradation on women’s health, well-being and employment opportunities.

It is precisely in this context, I am of the view that the Impact Group on “Ocean” can help address some of these issues.

I commend the International Gender Champions Network for this much needed initiative to help empower women in the field of ocean affairs.

As both an International Gender Champion and a strong advocate for protecting our ocean and advancing the science needed, I wholeheartedly commend this initiative, and all involved.

I thank you.