"We will keep fighting!"Final Intervention by Hala Yousry for Women's Major Group

[Bridget Burns]

Thank you chair for giving me the floor

I am Hala Yousry from Egypt. I am speaking on behalf of the Women Major Group.

The women of Egypt have been on the forefront of the revolution. We were fighting, and we will keep fighting, for democracy, dignity, human rights and gender equality. All of these are preconditions of sustainable development.

We women around the world continue our struggle for our rights, basic needs, health, decent jobs, social and environmental protection – which are the very basis of our lives and our future.

High-level representatives should know that there are many strong, committed, courageous and inventive women and men in each and every country.

It is a shame that there is such a timid text prepared here in Rio:

-       no commitment to our reproductive rights, as agreed in Beijing and Cairo

-       no high commissioner for our girls

-       nothing about the destruction by nuclear power and mining and no action to protect our health and the rights of affected populations

-       and no commitments for concrete targets and timelines for women in leadership positions.

The Rio outcome document does not give us the urgently needed means to address the very big challenges of our times.

What did we women get in Egypt? Less than 2% of the seats in the last parliamentary elections.

And what did we women get in Rio? So far, much less than we hoped for.

Thank you