Women Cannot Realise Their Potential In Business, In Politics, In Life, If They Do Not Have Control Over Their Own Bodies - UK Statement At The UN General Assembly

20th March 2024

Statement by Ambassador Archie Young at the UN General Assembly for the 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women.

Societies flourish when all people, especially women and girls, can thrive, complete their education and take control over their own lives; when women can take up positions of power and leadership in politics and in business; when women and girls have access to the rights and services that make this possible.

Recognising the barriers women face, we will lead by example; using our British Investment Partnerships, development finance and influence with multilateral partners to help ensure every woman can access a quality job with equal pay and the opportunities to reach her full potential.

Yet this goes far beyond economic aspirations.

We cannot achieve our goals - eradicating poverty, empowering women – without safeguarding their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

It is appalling that every day 800 women die from preventable causes relating to pregnancy and childbirth; 7,000 newborn babies die; and another 5,000 are stillborn.

An estimated 218 million women in low- and middle-income countries want to avoid or delay pregnancy but are not able to access modern contraception. Women cannot realise their potential in business, in politics, in life, if they do not have control over their own bodies.

This is a personal priority for the Foreign Secretary as part of a global collective effort. In the months ahead, we will use every lever we have, in our diplomatic and development work, to work with partners to find common ground and build shared commitment to:

Widen the international coalition of support for SRHR and raise global commitment and action on this issue;- Call on partners to accelerate commitments and funding in support of SRHR, including the private sector, increasing access to essential SRHR services and supplies for women and girls; and
Counter disinformation about SRHR in the multilateral space.
We also recognise that conflicts and crises pose a huge threat to progress on gender equality. Women are always among the worst affected by such catastrophes, and we are witnessing the rollback of their hard-won rights in too many areas.

The need for urgent co-ordinated action is clear. This means drawing on the strengths of women's rights organisations, activists and peacebuilders who do such incredible work within communities.

In the past year, we have launched a flagship £38 million programme to support their efforts, particularly during conflicts and crisis. This includes initiatives to counter violence against women, provide better healthcare and promote female leadership.

An additional £2 million has been allocated to refugee and women-led organisations supporting legal aid, shelters and more in crises settings.

We know that with conflicts, comes sexual violence and we are determined to change that. Our International Alliance, launched at this Commission last year, is a key component here.

Its 26 members, spanning states, multilateral partners, civil society and survivors is championing fresh approaches, strengthening support and co-ordinating joint action.

Beyond this, we are also championing the vital role that women play in resolving conflicts and securing long-lasting peace.

The world is lagging behind here, the evidence is clear, yet too few women have a seat at the table. We want to ensure that women leaders, humanitarians, human rights defenders and peacebuilders play their full and meaningful parts.

Our efforts here are shaped by a bold action plan across all our work; diplomatic, development, security and defence. This includes reforming the humanitarian system to protect against gender-based violence, and training thousands of peacekeepers to respond to conflict-related sexual violence.

Mr Chair, women and girls represent half the world’s population and half of its potential. It is up to all of us to unleash that potential.

For our part, the UK will continue to build on our strong track record, working closely with partners around the world – many here today – who share our determination to shape a fairer, safer world for all.