FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 18, 2016
On March 18, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the UN, gave an intervention during the deliberations of the 60th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women of the United Nations dedicated to “Women’s Empowerment and the Link to Sustainable Development.”
In his statement, Archbishop Auza cited the commitment of Member States in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that “no one will be left behind” to ensure that women in vulnerable situations, “whose potential is often the least appreciated and realized,” are not forgotten. He mentioned the situation of women and girls who face violence in situations of war, who are trafficked for sexual exploitation or forced to convert, marry, or abort their children. He also called on the international community not to leave elderly women, mothers, or girls at the very start of life behind and to ensure women have adequate access to education and adequate health care.
The statement can be found here.