Suomen YK.n nuorisodelegaatti Mikkel Näkkäläjärvi, 25, piti puheensa eilen YK:n yleiskokouksen 3. komiteassa, edustaen suomalaisia nuoria. Näkkäläjärvi osallistuu kokoukseen osana Suomen valtuuskuntaa ja tulee matkan aikana mm. tapaamaan YK:n pääsihteerin. Näkkäläjärvi on ensimmäinen saamelaisnuori, joka pääsee edustamaan Suomea yleiskokouksessa.
Omassa puheessaan Näkkäläjärvi halusi nostaa erityisesti esiin sukupuolten välisen tasa-arvon ja seksuaali- ja sukupuolivähemmistöjen oikeuksien toteutumisen vaateen.
– Voin ylpeänä kutsua itseäni feministiksi. Sukupuolten välinen tasa-arvo on välttämätöntä sille, että pystymme saavuttamaan YK:n uudet kestävän kehityksen tavoitteet ja vastaamaan aikamme globaaleihin haasteisiin. Meidän on ponnisteltava sen eteen, että ihmisoikeudet toteutuvat kaikkien maailman ihmisten kohdalla riippumatta sukupuolesta, sukupuolen ilmaisusta tai seksuaalisesta suuntautumisesta, Näkkäläjärvi korostaa haastattelussaan Allianssin nettisivuilla.
Alla Mikkel Näkkäläjärven puhe YK:n yleiskokouksen 3. komiteassa
Mr Chair, Your Excellencies,
It is an honour for me to address this committee as the youth delegate of Finland. I am also the first Finnish Sámi Youth Delegate at United Nations General Assembly. I’m very proudly presenting youth of my country and indigenous people of Finland.
Today I will talk about one of our greatest challenges – a challenge that stands in the way of our development as humankind. At this very moment, half of the people on this planet are under 25 years old. It is obvious that young people have a crucial role in solving global challenges, especially when it comes to inequality.
Global equality would have a positive effect not only on the development of democracy, but also on poverty, global warming – and population growth in poor countries.
Inequality has many forms and faces. The most obvious one is the unequal treatment of women and men.
Achieving gender equality is the most important step towards a more equal world. Improving the status of women is a requirement to development that is economically, ecologically, and socially sustainable.
In 1994, International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo focused on population policy. As a result an action plan with a clear goal was created: every person should have the right to decide freely on questions of reproduction.
Today, more than twenty years after Cairo, this right is not realised for many women and girls around the world.
This, however, is not the only way inequality appears itself. Every person should have the right to express their sexual orientation, freely choose their partner and start a family.
It is still surprisingly common – not to mention a huge tragedy – that people face an enormous amount of discrimination because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Violence against women is one of the widest manifestations of human rights violations. Over 35 percent of women in the world have faced physical or sexual violence. This is a fact we simply can’t accept.
Social and societal structures maintaining the violence against women have deep roots. Violence is too often seen as a private matter.
Violence against women often reveals gender-based discrimination in societies. In many cases this originates from power structures favoring men.
Knowing all this, I’m pleased that in August Council of Europe Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence – came to effect.
Mr Chair, Distinguished delegates,
Through the United Nations Millennium Development Goals huge progress has been achieved, and the world is truly a better place than ever before.
However, when looking at challenges like inequality or maternal mortality, too little progress has been made.
By agreeing to the sustainable development goals we have committed to strengthen the rights and opportunities of women and girls. The thing is, strengthening is simply not enough. We need to reach gender equality, or we will not be able to reach our other goals.
This is why I’m a feminist. The promise of feminism is nothing less than changing societies – and through that, changing the whole world. It’s a promise of human rights.
Equal treatment, self-determination of one’s body, sexuality and identity and the right to education are human rights. Universal rights, that belong to every single one of us.
Mr Chair,
The world is not ready. But hope is one thing we have. As long as we have the common will to discuss even the hardest questions and solve the greatest challenges, there’s hope.
I sincerely believe that the new sustainable development goals are the key to a better tomorrow. The new goals are an ambitious attempt to solve global challenges that are hurling towards us like an avalanche.
This is a great start and a tribute to the success of international cooperation. Together we can achieve great steps forward.
We are facing great challenges, as we have done before. One by one these have been solved successfully.
It is all about will and commitment, and we lack neither.
Thank you for your attention.