Statement by Ambassador at the UN Security Council
open debate on gender equality today for a sustainable
tomorrow
Thank you for chairing this debate. Our briefers and speakers so
far have eloquently highlighted the importance and the value of
women’s economic inclusion for maintaining peace, and stabilising
peace in post-conflict settings.
And, this debate is timely as we grapple with the challenge of
recovering globally from the Covid-19 pandemic, whose economic
impacts fell disproportionately on women and girls –- and risk,
without effective intervention, having a long-term effect.
Madam President, our theme today is partnerships – may I
highlight three?
First, as Ms Coulibaly highlighted, the critical role of funding:
The UK government is committed to working with partner
governments, multilaterals and the private sector to support
women in fragile economies to play an equal role in the economy,
to access the benefits of trade globally, and to establish
economic partnerships as levers for equality.
For example, in Jordan, where women face the compound effects of
conflict, displacement, and the impacts of COVID-19, the UK
development programmes provide cash transfers to refugees and to
at-risk Jordanian women.
More generally, the UK and our G7 partners are leading the way in
mobilising public and private investments to advance gender
equality and address persistent gaps in women’s economic
opportunities, such as access to digital and financial assets.
Through the 2X Financing for Women Challenge, launched during the
UK’s G7 Presidency last year, British Investment International
and our partners committed to investing over $15 billion over the
2021-22 period, to advance this agenda in developing countries.
And, this work includes supporting flexible working practices,
access to leadership opportunities, financing, and affordable
products and services. But in a context where only 25% of women
in fragile states have bank accounts, we also need to consider
innovative interventions like microcredit loans.
Second, with partners, we’re partnering to promote policies
designed to promote women’s inclusion and full and meaningful
economic participation. We particularly welcome the theme of
Gender and Climate at this year’s CSW, which is an opportunity to
highlight the role women can play in advancing the climate change
agenda after COP in Glasgow and ahead of COP in Egypt. In
addition, the UK has committed, with G7 partners, to new targets
to get 40 million more girls in school, and 20 million more girls
reading by 2026.
Overall, our vision is that all girls should get 12 years of
quality education.
Thirdly, we seek to strengthen partnerships here in the UN and
here in the Security Council in support of women’s economic,
social and political inclusion – drawing on the experiences that
we have heard about. And, I join others in highlighting the
particular reversals that women of Afghanistan have suffered
since August.
As we discuss the renewal of the UNAMA Mandate, we will
prioritise returning Afghan women to their full meaningful
inclusion in Afghanistan’s economy and society.
Madam President,
The UK welcomes today’s debate, which has underlined why economic
inclusion should be an integral part of a holistic approach to
women, peace and security.
But, I cannot finish without stating the obvious. Economic
inclusion is no protection against bullets and bombs. This has
been made horribly clear over the last 13 days. And just
yesterday, we witnessed Russian shelling kill a Ukrainian mother
and her two children as they sought to evacuate the city of
Irpin.
They were not the first casualties – tragically, they will not be
the last. Men, women, children – Russian as well as Ukrainian –
will continue to suffer until Russia ends this brutal and
unprovoked war.
