Afmælisfundur kvennanefndar Sameinuðu þjóðanna í New York
Madam/Mr. Chair,
This year we celebrate the 70thanniversary of the United Nations. The principle of equality between men and women was established in its Charter. And for a reason, as at the time of signing only 4 of the 160 signatories were women. Despite this solemn pledge still today, too many women are made poor and powerless when their rights are taken away from them.
The first World Women's Conference in Mexico in 1975 was a landmark conference and lead us to our first World Plan of Action.In Iceland, more than 25 thousand Women took the day off in October that same year to emphasize the importance of their contribution to the domestic economy, both in paid and unpaid work. Near 80% of Icelandic women are now active in the paid labour force and their contribution has been decisive in ensuring economic growth and development in our country.
Madam/Mr. Chair,
We have come a long way since Mexico in 1975 and it is clear to us that the Beijing Platform for Action has played a decisive role in assisting us and others on that path. In a global context Iceland has been successful when it comes to gender equality. The country has ranked at the top of the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Index for six consecutive years. Although, we are proud of our achievements, we are fully aware that Iceland is not an equality heaven for women. Challenges remain, such as closing the gender pay gap, securing equal political and economic power between women and men, and eliminating all forms of gender based violence.
Now, as ever, we must persistently strive to achieve full and real gender equality and use the 20thanniversary of the Beijing Conference as an occasion to review progress ad challenges, as well as strengthening our political efforts for the full and effective implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action once and for all.
Madam/Mr. Chair,
As a contribution to the Beijing+20 celebrations and in line with the UN Women #HeForShe movement, Iceland and Suriname hosted a Barbershop Conference here at UN headquarters in New York last January. The conference aimed at engaging men and boys to address negative stereotypes of masculinity and to become active promoters of gender equality. A special focus was on efforts to eliminate violence against women and girls – one of the critical areas of concern identified in the Beijing Platform for Action.
It was not by accident that the conference was to highlight efforts to eliminate violence against women and girls. It is an obvious truth that the ongoing world epidemic of gender based violence is an obstacle to equality, peace and development. The consequences to the mental, physical, sexual and reproductive health of women and girls are enormous. The bodily integrity of every child and woman has to be respected and protected and the current assault on legal abortion has to be stopped.
The right to sexual and reproductive health is a key element in empowering women and girls to take charge of their own lives. Without access to sexual and reproductive health services, their full potential of contributing to the social and economic development is hampered.
Madam/Mr. Chair,
We are at a critical moment and we must maintain high ambitions for gender equality and human rights for women and girls in the negotiations on the Post-2015 Development Agenda. Iceland has supported and continues to strongly support a stand-alone goal on gender equality and women's empowerment as well as it being mainstreamed throughout the framework.
Iceland has stressed that the goal should take a transformative approach that addresses the structural causes of gender inequality and tackle issues that were overlooked in the current framework, such as violence against women, women's sexual and reproductive health and rights, women's leadership and economic rights, and harmful practices including early and forced marriages of girls. The goals should also be time bound, measurable and actionable.
That is, not a lofty promise to be left unfulfilled but a strong commitment to realizing gender equality.
We owe it to all of us, not only our women and girls. We cannot wait another 70 years for achieving gender equality.
Thank you, Madam/Mr Chair