A/HRC/37/36 27. Mr. Oko Armah noted the importance of community action and stressed that accountability must start with policymakers in the education system. He underlined the pernicious impact of portraying women and girls as sexual objects in the media, which perpetuated discriminatory perceptions of women. He further emphasized the power of storytelling and the need for more efforts in the media to dismantle harmful stereotypes. He concluded by pointing to the importance of political leadership and accountability to eradicate violence against women. 28. In his concluding remarks, Mr. Keedi underscored the difference between education and gender awareness, pointing out that key actors might be highly educated but with minimal gender awareness. He noted the responsibility of States to recognize how State action could impact men and women differently. He concluded by saying that change was happening, work was being done on the ground and that States should seize the opportunity to use their power to accelerate that change. 29. The moderator concluded by emphasizing that the international community needed to build comprehensive strategies to better leverage the diverse settings where men and boys naturally congregated to infuse gender-equality messaging and skills. Finally, she reaffirmed that promoting healthy masculinities to achieve structural change required a commitment from everyone. III. Women’s rights and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: health and gender equality 30. The second panel discussion was opened by the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights and moderated by the Permanent Representative of Fiji to the United Nations Office and other international organizations at Geneva, Nazhat Shameem Khan. The panel comprised the former President of Finland and Co-Chair of the High-level Working Group on the Health and Human Rights of Women, Children and Adolescents, Tarja Halonen; the Vice-Minister of Health of Uruguay, Cristina Lustemberg; the Coordinator, Youth Champions Advocacy Network Nepal, Smriti Thapa; and the chief of the joint secretariat for the High-level Working Group on the Health and Human Rights of Women, Children and Adolescents, Rajat Khosla of the World Health Organization (WHO). A. Statement by the United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights 31. In her opening remarks, the Deputy High Commissioner recalled that in 2016 the panel had recognized the importance of achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through a human rights framework, with particular attention to gender equality. Building on that recognition, the Deputy High Commissioner emphasized that human rights could not be fully enjoyed unless the right to health was fully upheld and that enjoyment of the right to health was indivisible from a wider respect for human rights. 32. She noted, however, that the reality of the realization of the rights to and through health for women, children and adolescents, particularly with respect to their sexual and reproductive health and rights, remained unevenly attainable at country level. Discrimination, abuse and violence against women and girls remained one of the most widespread human rights violations. She reminded delegates that health outcomes for girls dramatically worsened at the onset of puberty, owing in part to harmful practices such as child, early and forced marriage and gender-based violence. She also stated that women were denied lifesaving health care because of discriminatory laws, policies and practices, including the criminalization of health-care services that only women needed, and the requirement of third party authorization for women to have access to health care. Those defending and championing health-related human rights were also at risk. She stressed that the need to realize the rights to and through health had never been more pressing, owing to conflict, urbanization, climate instability, environmental degradation and pollution, all of which increased and intensified known health risks. 7