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UN PhotoBias Before Birth: Sex-Selective Practices and their Consequences - Beijing's Unfinished Business (CSW69 Side Event)
Production Date
Video Length
01:17:15
Broadcasting UN Entity
Summary
Sex-selective practices, both before as well as after birth, are a widespread issue spanning all regions of the world. These practices involve the deliberate elimination of girl children solely because of their female sex, encompassing a range of actions such as the destruction of female embryos and sex-selective abortion, as well as female infanticide and fatal neglect.
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Under the BDPA, States have committed to adopting and enforcing legal and other measures to protect women and girls from all forms of violence and discrimination, including those stemming from sex-selective practices. Alarmingly, however, the international community has so far largely overlooked this pressing issue, allowing it to remain shrouded in taboo and impeding bold and effective responses.
The girl child of today is the woman of tomorrow—but her future hinges on the actions we take now. To achieve a world where women and men are equal partners in all aspects of life and development, States must affirm the human dignity and worth of the girl child and ensure her full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women presents a pivotal opportunity for the global community to confront the continued prevalence of sex-selective practices as an urgent and integral part of the unfinished business of the BDPA.