Excellencies, distinguished delegates, and partners,
Three decades ago, we all agreed that women’s and girls’ rights are human rights. While important gains have been made since then, women, girls and adolescents across our region still suffer abuses and violations of their human rights, including sexual and gender-based violence and restricted access to sexual and reproductive health and rights.
In today's challenging context, hard-won achievement of human rights are under severe pressure from growing, coordinated anti-rights movements attacking gender equality, SRHR, and LGBT+ rights. This deepens social inequalities, disproportionately affecting marginalized communities and those facing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination.
Thank you to the Danish government for its continued strong commitment to promoting gender equality, and empowerment of all women and girls. We appreciate Denmark's notable advancements over the past five years, including a consent-based rape legislation, mandatory comprehensive sexuality education in high schools, strengthening of abortion and LGBT+ rights. But we still have work to do.
The 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action presents a key opportunity to renew and accelerate commitments to gender equality and women's rights in all their diversity. The Danish Family Planning Association commends this review process as crucial to reaffirming and advancing progress achieved through the Beijing agenda and subsequent reviews.
We urge member states to protect and expand these critical gains, championing a future where all can enjoy fundamental freedoms and autonomy over their lives and bodies, with respect for diversity and without discrimination.
Thank you!