15 July 2025

Mr. President,

My Delegation welcomes the discussion on Sustainable Development Goal 5, which is dedicated to achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.

Gender equality is rooted in the equal God-given dignity of every man and woman, “inalienably grounded in his or her very being, which prevails in and beyond every circumstance […]. This principle, which is fully recognizable even by reason alone, underlines the primacy of the human person and the protection of human rights.”[1]

Recognizing this equal dignity is a critical starting point for achieving SDG5. However, recognition alone is not enough. Equality requires creating conditions that enable the integral development of women and girls, including access to quality education and healthcare, and decent work and participation in every sphere of life for women.  

Any meaningful discussion of SDG5 must address the systemic obstacles to the integral development of millions of women and girls, including poverty, violence and exclusion. Addressing these injustices is a moral imperative and a prerequisite for long-term development and progress. Efforts to this end, including investments, will have an immediate and transformative effect on the lives of every human being and entire communities.

At the same time, the roles that women and men play within families and communities must be protected. All too often, the international community’s development efforts treat gender equality primarily as a matter of individual autonomy, detached from relationships and responsibilities. However, it is crucial to emphasize the relational understanding of the human person, valuing the complementarity of women and men and affirming the family as a place of relationships.  Policies that support and protect families, motherhood, and maternity, need to be implemented alongside the promotion of equality between women and men.

Mr. President,

The dignity of every woman and girl must be always at the centre of development efforts and approaches that reduce women to mere instruments of economic or political agendas are to be avoided. In the concluding five years leading up to the realization of the 2030 Agenda, my Delegation calls for a renewed commitment to the integral development of every woman and girl.

Thank you.

[1] Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Declaration “Dignitas Infinita” on Human Dignity, 1.