Human Rights Council – 58^th Session
Joint Statement by Armenia on behalf of a group of countries

on Digital technologies and the rights of women and girls
27 March 2025

 

I have the honor to present this joint statement on behalf of 70 states, including Estonia, France, Japan, Chile, Costa Rica, Kenya, which together with my country form a part of the cross-regional core group.

We affirm our commitment to gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls and underline that the full enjoyment of all human rights by women and girls must be respected, protected and promoted online and offline.

While technological developments have promoted the rights of women and girls, we are concerned that their rights are also disproportionately affected in multiple ways by the rapid technological developments, which perpetuate existing patterns of gender inequality, gender- based violence, discrimination and gender stereotypes.

We recognize that digital inclusion and digital literacy are critical factors to promote public participation of women and girls and to achieving SDG-s.

We commit, in line with the Global Digital Compact, to strengthen international cooperation to close the gender digital divide and to provide equal opportunities to access to information and digital services for all women and girls.

We also commit to countering and eliminating all forms of violence, including sexual and gender based violence. Preventing and eliminating technology- facilitated gender- based violence is critical in ensuring safety, agency and participation of women and girls in all spaces, online and offline.

We call on ensuring women and girls` full and safe access to key services, on integrating digital literacy education into school curricula and to countering all gender stereotypes and biases as to the sectors of science, technology, engineering, arts and math.

We also call on ensuring women`s and girls` participation in the design, development and deployment of technologies including AI and in the sectors of STEAM, as well as promoting the empowerment, full, equal and meaningful participation and leadership in decision making processes.

We urge all relevant stakeholders to intensify efforts and work closely with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies, the UN Women, UNICEF and International Telecommunication Union to take concrete actions for mainstreaming a gender perspective in digital policies and AI frameworks for achieving gender equality and non- discrimination in the digital space and for adopting legal and policy reforms responding to the negative impacts of advances in digital technologies rooted on promotion and protection of human rights.

Thank you.

 

Signed:

Albania                                                         

Andorra

Armenia

Australia

Austria 

Bangladesh

Belgium

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Brazil

Bulgaria

Cabo Verde

Cambodia

Canada

Chili

Colombia

Costa Rica

Croatia

Cyprus

Czechia

Denmark

Ecuador

El Salvador

Estonia

Finland

France

Gambia

Georgia

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Iceland

India

Ireland

Italy

Japan

Kenya

Latvia

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Maldives

Malta

Marshall Islands

Mexico

Moldova

Monaco

Mongolia

Montenegro

Namibia  

Netherlands

New Zealand

North Macedonia

Norway

Panama

Poland

Portugal

Republic of Korea

Romania

Sierra Leone

Slovakia

Slovenia

South Africa

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Thailand

Türkiye

UK

Uruguay

Vanuatu