New UN resolution on women and girls’ rights

Date: 1st August 2022
Category: Non-discrimination

Children's drawing shows two girls smiling and holding up sheet music.

The UN Human Rights Council has adopted a new resolution which calls upon governments to repeal laws which exclusively or disproportionately target or criminalise women and girls, as well as urging governments to protect and fulfil the right to reproductive and sexual health.

The resolution calls on states to remove any barriers inhibiting women from entering leadership roles ensuring a gender balance at all levels of decision making in order to eliminate discriminatory legislation and practices which disproportionately effect women and girls. This is to ensure better protection of their rights specifically to reproductive health. This comes in light of recent violence and targeting of women and girls in Afghanistan.

The Council also extended the mandate of the Working Group on discrimination of women and girls for three more years, asking the group to consider an age dimension within its work as well as the specific forms of discrimination being practiced.