In the context of the current session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Italy took part in the Interactive Dialogue with the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls.
The Permanent Representative of Italy to the International Organisations in Geneva, Ambassador Gian Lorenzo Cornado, outlined that “Italy has always been at the forefront of the fight against discrimination and gender-based violence, while promoting women’s empowerment and gender equality, as well as supporting women’s participation in all spheres of economic and social life”. “All these represent core priorities for our current mandate in the Human Rights Council”, he stated.
It was highlighted that crisis responses, including pandemics, must be gendered and require a combination of emergency and long-term measures, including in relation to sexual and reproductive health and rights. During the COVID-19 pandemic, among the effects of the restrictive measures adopted by Governments there has been a dramatic increase in sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls, in particular domestic violence, and a significant rise in impediments for women and girls to access sexual and reproductive health services. This impact was deeper for women and girls in vulnerable conditions, including those living in conflict-affected areas.
“Italy is working with determination to strengthen its efforts, both at national and international level, to prevent and combat all forms of violence and discrimination against women and girls, also by ensuring that a gender-transformative approach is applied in designing the response to the health emergency, and to ensure the availability of sexual and reproductive health services as an essential prerequisite for gender equality and women empowerment”, concluded the Permanent Representative of Italy.
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