Press release
Minister Brophy launches flagship UN report on impact of female genital mutilation and child marriage
From Department of Foreign Affairs
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Foreign Affairs
Published on
Last updated on
Colm Brophy T.D., Minister of State for Overseas Development Aid and Diaspora today launched the UNFPA 2020 State of World Population report.
Speaking at the launch, Minister Brophy said:
“The report affirms that child and forced marriage, female genital mutilation and son preference are violations of human rights and, as such, issues of universal relevance and concern. Faster progress is needed if these practices are to be eliminated by 2030, the global target set in the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Ireland will not be found wanting in our support for these efforts.”
The launch event was chaired by Senator Lorraine Clifford Lee, Co-Chair of the All-Party Oireachtas Interest Group on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights chaired the launch event, which was hosted by UNFPA’s Irish partner, the Irish Family Planning Association, and attracted the attendance of TDs, Senators, NGO representatives, activists and academics.
ENDS
PRESS OFFICE
12 NOVEMBER 2020
Son preference is the practice of choosing to give birth to sons over daughters, and of neglecting girls after birth in favour of boys.
Ireland was this week found by ODI, an international development think tank, to be the number one principled donor in the world.
Ireland’s Policy for International Development, A Better World, designates gender equality as one of four policy priorities on which Ireland intends to make a significant contribution towards achieving the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), whose negotiation was led by Ireland at the UN in 2015.
The main theme of Irish Aid’s 2019 Annual Report, published on 10 November 2020, is gender equality, with more than 75% of Ireland’s bilateral development aid in 2019 focused gender equality initiatives.
Irish Aid is a consistent supporter of UNFPA, providing flexible core funding of €3.5 million a year.
The 2020 State of the World Population report is available here.