Duchess of Edinburgh Highlights Critical Link Between Eye Health & Gender Equity at UN Commission on the Status of Women

Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh, in her role as Global Ambassador for the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), delivered a keynote address at a UN Friends of Vision group meeting titled ‘No Woman Left Behind – closing the gender gap in eye health to achieve the SDGs’. Held on the margins of the UN Commission on the Status of Women in New York, the event emphasized the important connection between eye health and gender equality , with The Duchess saying “women and girls have the right to see and BE seen” 

Addressing an audience of United Nations Ambassadors and UN agency staff, The Duchess underscored that improving eye health, particularly for women and girls, is essential for advancing gender equity.    

Her Royal Highness said: “I am here today to stress to you the importance and imperative of eye health, which on the face of it when so much strain is being felt in so many ways may seem a little odd, but I assure you when we get it right with eye health it has incredible life changing, far reaching positive impacts beyond the act of saving or restoring sight, which is why I am passionate about it and why it is so deserving of our action and attention.” 

The Duchess highlighted the progress made in trachoma elimination, citing recent successes in Vanuatu and Vietnam, but stressed the persistent gender disparities, particularly among marginalized women, including nomadic, indigenous communities, and women with disabilities. She called for continued action and tailored approaches to ensure equitable access to eye care.    

“If women and girls have access to proper eye care they are not only more likely to secure better educational and career opportunities, as often the principle backbone of the family, they are then more able to juggle the many responsibilities a woman plays in the home, as well as contributing to community life.  But more than that we must let the money speak for itself – the loss every year to countries with large numbers of people in their populations with sight issues runs to the billions of dollars, yet correcting refractive error alone in children could result in more than 50% increase in their lifetime earnings.” 

Speaking after the event Peter Holland, IAPB CEO said, “We are at a critical juncture in global eye health – failure to act now will lead to a future where even more people are affected by preventable or treatable sight loss. As an eye health sector we are working with decision makers to deliver policy commitments already made in the UN Resolution on Vision.    

“Eyes are the windows to the soul, as the saying goes, but we know that they’re actually a window to gender equity,” said Jennifer Gersbeck, Executive Director – Influence and Scaling Impact at The Fred Hollows Foundation. “Women and girls make up 55% of the world’s blind and vision impaired, yet when they can’t access the eye care that they need, it entrenches them further in poverty. Without urgent action, millions of women and girls will continue to be left behind. The Commission on the Status of Women is a critical opportunity to advocate for concrete policies and investment to ensure all women and girls have access to quality eye care, unlocking their full potential” she concluded.  

Aligning eye health with the Sustainable Development Goals, The Duchess positioned eye health as a critical enabler of economic development, productivity, education attainment and gender equality. She encouraged continued international momentum and cross-sector collaboration including the 2026 Global Summit for Eye Health.