45 UN experts renew call for gender centered approach to reach human rights goals

45 UN human rights experts reaffirmed on Thursday that gender must remain central to the fight for equality and human rights worldwide.

The statement was signed by UN special procedure mandate holders from various countries, jointly emphasizing that “binary conceptions of sex” result in an incomplete picture of the “social and cultural factors that shape identity and lived experience.” Thus, the experts urge that “[g]ender-based discrimination must be addressed alongside sex-based discrimination.”

According to the experts, employing a gender-based perspective advances human rights and equality goals due to a more comprehensive appreciation of how “roles, expectations, and hierarchies manifest in education, health, culture, at the workplace or with respect to social, economic, and political opportunities.” As such, the experts call on states and other stakeholders to reaffirm their commitment to gender equality and integration of a gender-based practice in international law. This call is consistent with the goals and objectives outlined in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 5 on gender equality.

The value of recognizing intersectional forms of discrimination, including those based on sexual orientation and gender identity, was also supported by the work of the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). The current Independent Expert mandate is held by South African scholar Graeme Reid and was recently renewed by the UN Human Rights Council.

The UN experts’ statement comes amidst issues of gender-based discrimination across borders. In mid-July, the UN highlighted persistent gender gaps in sports, calling on member states to address gender inequalities. More specifically, in the US, several states, including Tennessee and Oklahoma, have made efforts to ban gender-affirming care for minors. Meanwhile, the UN also recently condemned the Taliban’s “gender apartheid” in Afghanistan, urging that dismantling these barriers is key to reaching gender equality.

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