As a part of the international alliance for women’s rights, She Decides, Thursday the 2nd of March 2017 Denmark will be co-hosting a conference on women’s rights. She Decides was formed as a response to the resent reintroduction of the so-called Global Gag Rule, putting millions of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable women at risk of losing access to contraception, sexual education and family planning.
The conference will be held in Brussels with the participation of like-minded countries from around the world and Denmark will be co-hosting the conference together with Belgium, Sweden and the Netherlands. The Minister for Development Cooperation in Denmark, Ulla Tørnæs, is pleased to have succeeded in mobilizing a broad support for this international conference focused on women’s rights.
Women’s rights is a key priority in Denmark. In part because it is about basic human rights for all but also because women are a crucial key to development. We cannot reach the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals if we do not engage and involve women. We find ourselves at a time where millions of women are at risk of losing access to contraception, sexual education and family planning. This is worrying because it will make it harder for women to get an education as well as participate in the labour market, says Minister for Development Cooperation Ulla Tørnæs (V).
The purpose of the conference is to seek a broad political and financial support for women’s rights. Four EU-countries have taken the initiative for the conference, however, participation from countries outside the EU is expected. Minister for development cooperation in Denmark, Ulla Tørnæs, underlines that it is essential that the agenda has as broad support as possible.
We have a strong European core which sees women’s rights as a touchstone in development policy. I am very pleased that we with this conference are expanding this core to countries outside of the EU. When some countries are turning down their engagement for women’s rights and fundamental human rights for all – well, then we need to turn up our engagement, says minister for development cooperation in Denmark, Ulla Tørnæs (V).
The conference will be held in Brussels March 2nd at 9:30 – 13:00. More information can be accessed here: www.shedecides.eu. Contact for the conference: shedecides@diplobel.fed.be. More details will follow.
Additional information: please contact the special advisor for the minister for development cooperation in Denmark, Marianne Lynghøj Pedersen: 0045 42485158.
