BERLIN — Luise Amtsberg, Germany’s Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Assistance, marked International Women’s Day with a call for stronger global efforts to protect women’s rights and promote gender equality.
“Women, peace, and security—this triad is the cornerstone of our feminist foreign policy,” Amtsberg said in a statement on Friday. “Equality for all genders and equal participation of marginalized groups lay the foundations for democracy and human rights.”
Amtsberg warned that women’s rights worldwide are under increasing pressure, with gender-sensitive policies facing setbacks. She highlighted ongoing challenges in conflict zones, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Iran, and Afghanistan, where women and girls are disproportionately affected by violence and a lack of resources.
“It has been proven that lasting peace is more likely and more stable if women are involved in negotiations,” she said, emphasizing Germany’s commitment to the UN Security Council’s Women, Peace, and Security Agenda.
Germany is the largest donor to the UN Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund, supporting women-led initiatives in crisis regions. Amtsberg also noted Germany’s efforts to hold the Taliban accountable for human rights violations against women in Afghanistan under the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
“No country in the world has fully achieved gender equality,” she said. “Protecting and building on what we have achieved remains a task for each and every one of us—especially now.”
