Human Rights Day: Prioritise rights of girls, women for equal, prosperous world — UNFPA
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), has called on countries and leaders of the world to prioritize the rights of women and girls for a just, equal and prosperous world.
In a statement to mark this year’s Human Rights Day, commemorated globally every Dec. 10 (like today, Tuesday December 10), Dr Natalia Kanem, UNFPA’s Executive Director, noted that human rights exist to protect everyone from harm and to ensure dignity and inclusion.
This year’s Human Rights Day is commemorated under the theme “Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now”.
Kanem pointed out that “peace and prosperity depend on fulfilling human rights,” adding that 30 years ago, participants at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) inCairo, Egypt, agreed that inclusive and sustainable development depends on women and girls fully realising their human rights, especially reproductive rights.
The UNFPA executive director stated that since then, significant strides have been made toward the achievement of sexual and reproductive health and rights for all.
“Today, we celebrate the fact that many more countries have passed laws and invested in services to safeguard bodily autonomy and enable women and girls to enjoy equal opportunities to thrive,” she said.
“More measures are in place than ever before to prevent and respond to Gender-Based Violence (GBV), one of the most pervasive violations of human rights.”
She, however, lamented that in spite of the progress made, there is still much work to do, what with “millions of women and girls in all their diversities continuing to be denied their fundamental human rights.”
“Only 56 per cent of women are able to make their own decisions over their sexual and reproductive health and rights.
“One in three women and girls globally experience GBV during her lifetime.
“In some places, misogyny and discrimination have worsened, leading to rollbacks in legislation, policies and financing,” she agonized.
Kanem added that crises spurred by conflict, natural disasters or climate change are compounding human rights violations as record numbers of women and girls are forced to flee their homes.
This, she said, dramatically increases their vulnerability to a range of grievous harms, including sex trafficking, child marriage and other forms of GBV.
On the theme of the commemoration, Kanem said it highlights the relevance of human rights in everyday lives and as the pathway to a better future.
“Today and every day, let us stand up for human rights.
“On this final day in the global campaign of 16 Days of Activism Against GBV, let us stand with those most vulnerable to harm.
“Let us protect the dignity, safety and wellbeing of every woman and girl in all their diversities,” she urged, assuring that doing so is the most effective way to build just and equal societies for everyone, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted him as surmising.
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