“Women’s rights are human rights”: Portuguese Minister for Culture, Youth and Sport takes part in the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women
Portugal’s Minister for Culture, Youth and Sport, Margarida Balseiro Lopes, travelled to New York from 7 to 12 March, to take part in the 70th session of the Commission of the Status of Women.
Portugal is currently one of the 45 members of this Commission (for the period 2024-2028), which is a subsidiary organ of ECOSOC but also the annual largest world gathering of Governments and civil society focusing on gender equality.
This year’s theme had an emphasis on access to justice. Therefore, Portugal highlighted the high levels of representation of women in the Portuguese justice system (as judges, prosecutors, lawyers and other juridical staff), where women have reached parity.
In her statements, the Minister also underlined the most recent concrete measures for victims of sexual and gender-based violence, including domestic violence. These measures include reinforcing urgent legal and practical support via a helpline, expanding the national support network of shelters and specialized services, improving training for security forces and judicial professionals, and a renewed focus on addressing harmful practices, such as female genital mutilation and early, child and forced marriages.
Apart from voting on the Agreed Conclusions of CSW and participating in the commemoration of International Women’s Day, the Minister made three formal statements: at the general debate, at the ministerial roundtable on access to justice, and at the high-level meeting on violence against women and girls.
She also spoke at two side events, both on women in the judiciary. The first was Portugal’s own side event, organized in partnership with Kenya and the Portuguese Platform on Women’s Rights, which included statements by the Gender Cabinet Secretary and the Chief Justice of Kenya, the Minister of Women Affairs from Zimbabwe, the Deputy Executive Director of UN Women as well as civil society representatives. The second was organized by Egypt together with UN Women, and co-sponsored by Portugal, Indonesia, Jordan, Morocco, Rwanda and Tanzania.
The Minister’s programme also included a number of bilateral and plurilateral meetings, in order to share best practices and find potential avenues of cooperation. Having regard to her other portfolios, she also visited the Museum of Modern Art, and met with cultural actors from the Portuguese Diaspora.
