Holy See at UN reaffirms commitment to women's rights

On Monday 22 September, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations of the Holy See, addressed the High-Level Meeting commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Conference, reaffirming the Holy See's commitment to promoting the dignity and rights of women.

The Head of Delegation highlighted ongoing challenges such as poverty, limited access to education, wage inequality, and violence against women and girls - including emerging forms of abuse through technology and the tragic persistence of practices like prenatal sex selection and female infanticide.

Archbishop Gallagher emphasized the need for improved maternal healthcare and rejected abortion as a false solution, calling instead for respect for life at every stage. He urged States to recommit to the core goals of the Beijing Declaration, focusing on unity and meaningful progress rather than divisive agendas.

The full text of Archbishop Gallagher's statement follows.

Mr President,

Thirty years ago, the international community gathered in Beijing to focus on important and urgent questions regarding the dignity of women and the full enjoyment of her fundamental human rights.

Since then, although significant progress has been made, there are persistent issues in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, that remain unaddressed, including a higher extreme poverty rate for women, obstacles to accessing or even exclusion of women from quality education, and their lower wages in the workforce. These conditions impede the full achievement of women's equal dignity and ability to fulfil their potential in all spheres of life.

Furthermore, the continued prevalence of violence against women and girls is deeply alarming. Wherever it occurs, at home, during trafficking, or in conflict and humanitarian settings, it constitutes an affront to their dignity and is a grave injustice. Regrettably, technology is also being used to exacerbate certain forms of abuse and violence. However, violence is not limited to sexual exploitation and trafficking but includes also the practices of prenatal sex selection and female infanticide. These acts, condemned in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, continue to result in the deaths of millions of "missing girls" each year. Any form of violence against women and girls is unacceptable and must be combatted.

Disparities in healthcare continue to affect women. Although maternal mortality rates have dropped significantly since 1990, progress has stalled in recent years. Access to prenatal care and skilled birth attendants, as well as to healthcare systems and infrastructure must increase, while false solutions such as abortion rejected. Indeed, protecting the right to life is essential, as it underpins all other fundamental rights.[1] Equality for women cannot be achieved unless "the dignity of every person, especially the most frail and vulnerable, from the unborn to the elderly"[2] is respected.

Mr President,

The primary concern of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which addresses the needs of women in poverty, strategies for development, literacy and education, ending violence against women and girls, a culture of peace, and access to employment, land, capital and technology, still remains neglected. It is the hope of the Holy See that instead of focusing on divisive issues that do not necessarily beneficial to women, States fulfil their commitments to ensure equality for women, and respect for their God-given dignity.

Thank you.


[1] Cf. Saint John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Evangelium Vitae, 101.
[2] Pope Leo XIV, Audience to the members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See, 16 May 2025.