Ministry Statements & Speeches:
Thank you Mr Vice-President
New Zealand thanks the Working Group for its excellent report on girls’ and young women’s’ activism.
New Zealand attaches great importance to the full, equal and meaningful participation of women and girls. Our Ambassador is pleased to have been appointed as the gender focal point at the Human Rights Council, to explore ways to increase the participation of women in all Council sessions and to act as focal point for cases of sexual and gender based harassment in the Council. We look forward to working with you all to increase women’s participation in this important work.
Mr Vice President, as the report notes, girls and young women from different regions and backgrounds have made important contributions to the promotion of gender equality and the advancement of human rights. Their activism has profound transformative potential.
New Zealand shares the Working Group’s concern that although the right of girls and young women to participate in political and public life is guaranteed under international human rights law, girls and young women in many countries continue to face structural barriers that inhibit or endanger their participation.
We urge states to follow the recommendations in the report and take all appropriate measures to create safe and enabling spaces for girl and young women activists. States, private companies and all stakeholders must also take measures to ensure online access and safety.
We would like to ask the Working Group, what more could be done to ensure a safe space online for girl and young women activists?
Thank you Mr Vice-President.