Human rights activist Malala Yousafzai implores leaders to do more to protect women and girls
Presbyterian Co-Moderator the Rev. CeCe Armstrong was among those who witnessed the UN speech
NEW YORK — In a searing message at the United Nations on Monday, human rights activist Malala Yousafzai expressed deep disappointment in the continued plight of women and girls, especially in places where oppression and war are all too common.
The 2014 Nobel Peace Prize winner was one of the special guests at a UN observance of International Women’s Day that coincided with the first day of the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70).
Much of CSW70, in which a Presbyterian delegation is participating this week, is focusing on the theme of “ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls.”
However, “true justice does not defend the humanity of children in one place and ignore it in another,” Yousafzai said. “It is not selectively applied. It does not claim that our rights are dependent on where we were born or what is politically safe for the people in this room.”
She was among a handful of speakers and performers featured during the event emphasizing "Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls." (Watch here.)
This “is about appreciation of the talents and energies of women and girls everywhere, their courage, their resilience, their contributions and their leadership,” said Sima Bahous, executive director of UN Women. “It is about bravery and determination, about our refusal to accept a pushback against gender equality, whether in our communities, online or in the work of these United Nations.”
Yousafzai, who survived an assassination attempt in 2012, is known for making bold statements and being a trailblazer. At the age of 17, she became the youngest Nobel laureate, an honor bestowed upon her for championing the right of every child to receive an education and for challenging the Pakistani Taliban’s oppressive tactics, such as blocking the education of girls.
Monday’s program was a coming home, of sorts, for Yousafzai, who said she'd spoken in the same UN hall about 13 years prior — and many times since then — but the return was tinged with sadness.
“For a long time, I believed that my voice could make a difference, that things would change. But today, I stand here heartbroken,” she said. “Never have I seen so many children suffering from war and violence, injured and dying at the hands of unaccountable leaders. I am devastated for families in Iran whose daughters left for school and did not return home, for parents in Gaza who buried their children beneath the rubble of their classrooms, for Afghan girls living under the brutal Taliban regime for nearly five years.”
In an attempt to erase girls from public life, the Taliban has “controlled courts, the police and public institutions, and they have used their power to abuse women and girls,” Yousafzai said. “Girls cannot go to secondary school or university. Women cannot go to work, leave their homes without a male chaperone, or even speak in public. The list goes on and on — no sports, no nail polish, no singing no reciting poetry.
“Women and girls cannot be treated by a male doctor and are not allowed to train to become doctors themselves,” she said. “In Afghanistan today, it is legal for a man to beat his wife or daughter.”
Yet, the world has responded by looking away or by excusing or mischaracterizing the abuses of the Taliban instead of recognizing their actions as crimes under international law.
“This is not culture. It is not religion. It is a system of segregation and domination,” she said, stressing the need to stop atrocities from happening for another generation. “It is not enough to grieve for those who are suffering. We must move from sympathy to accountability.”
Later, the audience heard brief remarks by Sunbul Reha, a singer and musician from Afghanistan. Previous speakers and performers, including Yousafzai, stood behind her on stage as she spoke.
“I know what it means when a girl's voice is silenced,” she said. “I have lived it. Too many of our sisters around the world face daily fear, insecurity and violence … Our bodies are being violated. Rights that took generations to win are evaporating before our eyes, and still, I remain hopeful,” the college student said.
She went on to note that women have not given up. “Women continue to speak up for their rights, and young people everywhere refuse to give up the fight. We are undaunted. We will not stop. We have hope.”
She went on to appeal to those delegates in the room by imploring them to “protect a girl's right to an education, defend a woman's right to speak out safely and without retaliation, fight to block the erosion of our progress. There are millions of girls who stand here in spirit with me. They're counting on all of us, and they're counting on all of you.”
The Rev. CeCe Armstrong, Co-Moderator of the 226th General Assembly (2024), was present during the event and said it was wonderful to see Yousafzai empower Reha more than a decade after taking a dramatic stance for justice.
Armstrong, who's taking part in CSW, also was touched by seeing the stand behind Reha “as she assured us that she could very well carry the mantle of justice for women and girls.” The gesture spoke to “my heart and being.”
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