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I have the honour to speak on behalf of Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
2010 marks the 15 year anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. In this landmark year, States have much to celebrate in terms of their achievements towards the realisation of human rights for all women. However, any such celebration must be tempered by the knowledge that on the eve of the 10 year review of the Millennium Development Goals, the goals which are the furthest from realisation are those relating specifically to women.
At the time of the agreement of the MDGs, it was widely recognised that a key to unlocking a country’s economic potential and progressing its development was the education of girls and women. General Comment 13 of the Committee for the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights stated, ‘education is the primary vehicle by which economically and socially marginalized adults and children can lift themselves out of poverty’. States committed under MDG2 to ensuring that ‘girls and boys alike will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling’ and under MDG3 to the elimination of gender disparity in primary, secondary and tertiary education by 2015. Despite these commitments and some examples of good progress towards gender parity, UNICEF’s 2009 “State of the World’s Children” report found that globally, only 77% of girls are attending primary school, and only 44% are attending secondary school – unacceptable figures which are notably lower than the equivalent rates for boys.
The right to education is an essential prerequisite to women realising many other rights. If women are to participate fully in the economy and make decisions at all levels in society, including in their personal lives, they must be able to exercise their right to an education. The recent Report of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on preventable maternal mortality and morbidity and human rights found that, “Women’s low rates of literacy and education worldwide correlate strongly to high rates of maternal mortality…’ This is but one example of the implications for women who do not have access to education.
Accessibility is a central element of the right to education. In this respect, we welcome the progress that has been made in Afghanistan in ensuring that girls can go to school, in contrast to repressive laws which previously prevented this from happening. We also note key gains elsewhere, such as Senegal, where in the period of one primary school generation, Senegal’s gender parity index has moved from 86 girls per 100 boys in 1999 to an equal number of girls and boys in 2007. Safe physical access, eliminating or reducing school fees, locating schools in rural areas, and providing a secure and welcoming environment are important practical measures to ensure that girls are provided with an education. Equally important is the need to ensure that schools are safe, positive spaces free from discrimination and violence, that the school curricula is free from gender bias and does not perpetuate discriminatory beliefs or attitudes, and that the risk of violence en route to school does not serve as a barrier to access.
Canada, Australia and New Zealand welcome today’s opportunity for discussion and look forward to practical outcomes that can move us towards the full realisation of women’s right to education.
