Remarks by H.E. Mr. Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly
9 May 2022
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Your Excellency, Madam First Lady, Ms. Dominique Ouattara,
Excellencies,
Distinguished colleagues,
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I congratulate the Government of Cote D¡¯Ivoire, through you Madam First Lady, for hosting today¡¯s timely event.
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The 2nd edition of the Global Land Outlook released last month, presented a stark reminder – 40% of the planet¡¯s land has degraded, directly affecting half of humanity.
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If we do not reverse the current trend, we stand to lose 95% of the Earth¡¯s land by 2050.
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We can no longer live in the delusion that land degradation is a far-distant scenario. It is happening and unfolding in our very own backyard. And it is women who are, as is far too often the case, bearing the brunt of the impacts.
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In developing countries where land degradation is more pronounced, women often have the role of providing food and water. Given their substantial role in agriculture and food production, women are disproportionately affected when land is degraded and becomes scarce.
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Adding to the problem is the issue of land ownership. While no systematic global data exists, preliminary estimates suggest that women account for less than 20 per cent of the world¡¯s landholders.
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We must acknowledge that when women do not legally own their land, or where customs and practices prevent their ownership of land, they are not recognized as farmers or ¡°value-chain¡± actors.
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This gender-bias approach excludes women from access to extension services and inputs available to bona fide farmers, a majority of which are men.
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Without access to new agricultural technology and agricultural supportive systems, women are unable to increase land productivity and yields, or invest in sustainable land management.
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My friends,
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Not only is this a failure of society, but a clear violation of human rights. Inaction is too costly, for humanity, for prosperity and for the planet.
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This caucus is thus, an important platform to translate the bold commitments of the Gender Action Plan (GAP) into gender-responsive and impactful actions on the ground.
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We need to understand the undercurrents of these disproportionate impacts. This requires us to target gender issues and rights-based policies to address the differing impacts of land degradation on women and men.
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Likewise, the connection between ecosystem type, cultural practices and primary economic production must be considered in addressing gender concerns in the drylands.
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Because we cannot close the gender equality gap if we do not adequately measure the inequalities.
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Women remain untapped resources and their inputs, knowledge and guidance are essential in climate action as well as land restoration and mitigation.
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We must provide avenues and support measures, including laws that will protect the right of access to land ownership during the whole life cycle. We need to ensure equal hereditary rights for women and girls.
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Excellencies, dear friends,
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We have much to accomplish. This is why we need to speak out on this issue, and more importantly why we need to walk the talk – to keep gender equality at the heart of all our discussions.
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No single government can accomplish this on their own. It must be a unified effort and spirit, with the United Nations, policymakers, implementing agencies, the private sector, civil society, and communities sharing the responsibilities.
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I congratulate this caucus on the adoption of the declaration that aims to shore-up support and concrete actions on gender equality for effective land stewardship.
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Let us continue to work together with gender equality as an explicit and non-negotiable objective for sustainable development.
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I wish this meeting every success.
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I thank you.