International Sanctions and Curbing Gender Apartheid
Honourable Chair,
When diplomacy fails, consequences must follow.
Japan strongly supports targeted international sanctions against regimes that legally enforce
gender apartheid. The Taliban’s ban on girls’ education, Iran’s morality police — these are
not cultural norms; they are state crimes.
We urge this committee to collaborate with the UN Human Rights Council to impose
sanctions that freeze assets, restrict trade, and block visas of perpetrators.
If economic pressure can stop nuclear arms, why can’t it stop the
oppression of women?
Sanctions must no longer be reactive — they must be proactive instruments of justice.
I yield.
4. Impact on Women’s Access to Education & Employment
Honourable Chair,
The most dangerous wall is the one that keeps a girl out of a classroom and a woman out of
the workforce.
In countries enforcing gender apartheid, women lose not only rights, but futures. Denying
education reduces GDP, increases poverty, and fuels violence.
Japan’s own experience with “Womenomics” proves this: our GDP rose by over 12% due to
increased female labor participation.
Let us be clear: gender apartheid is not just a human rights issue — it’s an economic
catastrophe.
We urge this body to pass resolutions demanding the protection of women’s access to
education and employment.
I yield.
5. Economic Consequences on National Development
Honourable Chair,
Any country that suppresses half its population cripples its economy.
Studies show that countries practicing gender apartheid suffer from:
● Lower literacy
● Higher infant mortality
● Reduced national income
According to the World Bank, gender inequality costs the global economy $160 trillion
annually.
Japan calls for the integration of gender equity indicators into national development funding.
States should not receive unrestricted aid while legally erasing women.
You cannot grow a tree while cutting off half its branches.
Empower women, and you empower a nation.
I yield.
6. Role of Cultural and Religious Institutions
Honourable Chair,
Religion should offer comfort — not chains.
In many gender apartheid states, misinterpretation of religious doctrine has been
weaponized to deny women basic rights. This is not faith. This is control disguised as
culture.
Japan believes in interfaith dialogue. We support creating a UN Cultural Rights Commission
to partner with religious scholars and challenge discriminatory practices from within.
True faith uplifts — it does not oppress.
Let us not allow culture to be the excuse for cruelty.
I yield.
7. International Collaboration on Asylum for Victims
Honourable Chair,
When a woman escapes gender apartheid, she should not face another wall at a border.
Japan calls for a global protocol for gender-based asylum, recognizing gender apartheid as
legitimate grounds under the 1951 Refugee Convention.
We have already increased our humanitarian intake and provided legal support for women
fleeing Syria and Afghanistan.
This is not generosity — it is justice.
Will we turn away those who flee from silence, fear, and subjugation?
Let the world be a refuge — not a refusal.
I yield.
8. Forced Marriages & Honor Killings
Honourable Chair,
In some states, being born a girl is a life sentence — into forced marriage, and sometimes,
into death.
Every year, 12 million girls are forced into marriage before the age of 18. Thousands are
killed in the name of family “honor.”
Japan demands that this committee push for universal criminalization of forced marriage and
honor-based violence under international human rights law.
We must also fund community-led change in deeply patriarchal regions through local NGOs
and education.
What honor lies in killing freedom?
Let us protect girls — not traditions that destroy them.
I yield.
9. Media Censorship Silencing Women
Honourable Chair,
In gender apartheid states, women don’t just lose their rights — they lose their voices.
Media censorship silences female journalists, erases their stories, and spreads propaganda
that justifies oppression.
Japan advocates for the creation of a UN Women Media Freedom Index to track, rank, and
penalize regimes that silence women through state-controlled media.
We must also support safe digital spaces for women to speak, connect, and resist.
If she cannot speak, she cannot survive.
The pen is still mightier than the sword — if we allow it.
I yield.
10. Reproductive Healthcare Barriers
Honourable Chair,
In gender apartheid states, reproductive health is not a right — it’s a privilege denied.
From forced pregnancies to denial of contraception and abortions, millions of women are left
without autonomy over their bodies. This violates Article 12 of CEDAW.
Japan supports expanding funding for sexual and reproductive health programs in fragile
regions. We urge inclusion of comprehensive sex education and mobile health clinics in UN
development aid.
How can a woman thrive when even her body is not her own?
Health is not negotiable. It is a human right.
I yield.
