Remarks by the President of the General Assembly
Mr. Philemon Yang
Event on the 50th Anniversary of International Women’s Day

7 March 2025, General Assembly Hall

[As Delivered]

Your Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen,

 

I thank UN Women for convening this important and timely event.

 

I am truly delighted to take part in this meeting.

 

Gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls remain among the highest priorities of my presidency.

 

Let me begin on a positive note: over the past five decades, we have made notable strides in advancing gender equality.

 

International frameworks such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women and Peace and Security have laid a strong foundation for progress.

 

Women’s representation in parliaments worldwide has nearly tripled, rising from just 10 percent fifty years ago to 27 percent today.

 

Girls have greater access to education than ever before, and maternal mortality rates have declined alongside a reduction in child marriage to 18.7 percent.

 

Today, domestic violence laws exist in 165 countries, and women continue to lead groundbreaking scientific advancements—including the development of COVID-19 vaccines.

 

Across every sector—peacebuilding, human rights advocacy, climate action, and the private sector—women are driving transformative change.

 

It is fitting that we celebrate these achievements in a year marked by major milestones.

 

This year—the thirtieth anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the twenty-fifth anniversary of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325—offers a moment to reflect on progress and honour accomplishments. It is also important to rally greater support for gender equality and women’s empowerment.

 

Because we cannot afford complacency.

 

These anniversaries occur in a disturbing reality. While we have made undeniable progress, full gender equality remains out of reach.

 

The journey is far from over and much remains to be done.

 

Consider this: at the current rate of change, ending extreme poverty among women could take another 137 years.

 

Around the world, laws continue to discriminate against women and girls, limiting their opportunities and freedoms.

 

In 18 percent of countries, women still do not have equal rights to confer citizenship to their spouses and children.

 

In more than half of all countries, legal restrictions bar women from working in the same jobs as men.

 

And while we celebrate the growing number of women in parliaments, progress remains slow. At the current trajectory, gender parity in legislative bodies may not be achieved until 2063.

 

Beyond legal barriers, economic and technological inequalities continue to widen.

 

Millions of women remain excluded from the benefits of rapid technological advancements due to disparities in education and skills training.

 

It is a tragic and enduring reality that women remain disproportionately vulnerable to violence. This state of affairs is fueled and reinforced by social norms that normalize sexism and misogyny.

 

One in three women—approximately 736 million—has experienced physical or sexual violence in her lifetime.

 

Moreover, conflicts worldwide inflict some of the gravest violations of women’s and girls’ rights, increasing their vulnerability to conflict-related sexual violence and exploitation.

 

Excellences,

 

Nous devons faire bien plus—non seulement pour honorer nos engagements actuels, mais aussi pour tracer d’urgence une voie vers une égalité pleine et entière entre les genres.

 

Nous avons l’élan nécessaire pour agir, avec l’adoption du Pacte pour l’avenir au début de cette session.

 

Ce Pacte, ainsi qu’un de ses annexes, la Déclaration sur les Générations Futures, réaffirme notre devoir de mettre pleinement en œuvre les engagements internationaux relatifs aux droits des femmes et des filles.

 

Mais les engagements seuls ne suffisent pas.

 

Atteindre l’égalité des genres exige une mobilisation totale des Gouvernements, de la société civile, du secteur privé et de tous les acteurs concernés.

 

Cela requiert une volonté politique forte, des investissements soutenus et une transformation fondamentale des structures qui perpétuent les inégalités depuis très longtemps.

 

La tâche qui nous attend est immense, mais elle n’est pas insurmontable.

 

Ensemble, honorons le passé, agissons avec urgence aujourd’hui et construisons un monde où les droits de chaque femme et de chaque fille sont garantis ; où l’égalité n’est pas une aspiration mais une réalité, et où les femmes et les jeunes filles sont pleinement autonomisées pour façonner leur propre avenir.

Je vous remercie.

Media Contacts

Sharon Birch, Spokesperson for the President of the General Assembly, Tel: +1 212 963 0564, M: +1 646 342 5873, Email: birchs@un.org

Dr. Mariam Shaikh, Adviser/ Social and Digital Media/Media Relations, M: +1 917 3614990, Email: mariam.shaikh@un.org

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Resolutions of the 79th Session – UN General Assembly