Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh delivers keynote address on gender equity in eye care

HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh shakes hands with H.E. Ambassador Walton Webson, Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda to the United Nations, Co-Chair and Founder of the UN Friends of Vision Group. Image courtesy of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness.

On Tuesday, 11 March, Her Royal Highness Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, delivered a keynote address to United Nations ambassadors and agency staff advocating for gender equity in eye health. Her Royal Highness is a global ambassador for the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), and as part of this role, she delivered the keynote at a UN Friends of Vision group meeting, presented in partnership with The Fred Hollows Foundation.

The event was timed to coincide with the UN Commission on the Status of Women, shortly after International Women’s Day and during Women’s History Month in the US.¹

Her Royal Highness called on policymakers, health care leaders and UN ambassadors to take action and support eye care access, particularly for women and girls. In her speech, she emphasised the far-reaching impact of ocular health initiatives.²

“Eye health is not simply one health concern, but can be a proactive driver of development,” the Duchess of Edinburgh said. “The ability to see is directly linked to productivity and participation, impacting families, communities and economies.”

Her Royal Highness cited programmes in Vanuatu and Vietnam, aimed at trachoma elimination, as examples of successful eye health initiatives. Vanuatu and Vietnam recently achieved trachoma-free status, per the World Health Organisation. The data-driven eye health programmes which made this possible have also illuminated the gender discrepancies that are endemic to many countries, she pointed out.

"We now have confirmation that women are disproportionately affected by trachoma through gender issues including high contact with children, repeated infections, low uptake or access to services for women,” Her Royal Highness said.

Additionally, the Duchess of Edinburgh spoke about the UN Resolution Vision for Everyone, and the upcoming Global Summit for Eye Health organised by the IAPB. "We now find ourselves at a moment in time when universal eye health could be accessible to everyone, globally," she said. "I thank you for your attention on this vital cause, which unlike many other complex challenges being discussed this week [during the UN Commission on the Status of Women], is simple, impactful, cost-effective and scalable."

Jennifer Gersbeck, executive director of influence and scaling impact at the Fred Hollows Foundation, shared additional statistics to emphasise the global import of ocular health measures.¹

Members of the UN Friends of Vision Group, the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, the World Health Organisation and The Fred Hollows Foundation, and Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Edinburgh (front row centre), at the UN Commission on the Status of Women. Image courtesy of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness.

“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,” she stated. “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.”

Her Royal Highness also said that addressing eye health furthers the UN objective to achieve its Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) agenda. “By tackling the issue of blinding trachoma, as well as other eye health issues within vulnerable communities, we are also positively impacting other neglected tropical diseases,” she said. “We are also aligning our priorities with broader health and development targets, but prioritising eye health working towards achieving the SDGs by 2030."

References

1. Duchess of Edinburgh Highlights Critical Link Between Eye Health & Gender Equity at UN Commission on the Status of Women. Press release. International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness. Published March 11, 2025. Accessed March 12, 2025. https://www.iapb.org/news/duchess-of-edinburgh-highlights-critical-link-between-eye-health-gender-equity-at-un-commission-on-the-status-of-women/

2. Speech by HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh, Global Ambassador for the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness. Published March 11, 2025. Accessed March 12, 2025.