Princess Mary’s stirring message to followers
Crown Princess Mary has delivered a stirring message for followers of the Danish Royal Palace.
The official Instagram page for the family showed Mary working from her first residence in Denmark, with it being the first glimpse of Mary in 2021.
The caption referenced the Australian royal’s virtual meeting with the ICPD25 High Level Commission, established by the UN Population Fund.
"The Commission was set up to work to ensure that women and girls have the necessary knowledge and tools to ensure that they can control their own bodies and thus their own lives," The Palace explained.
"The meeting today focused on the work of ensuring that every pregnancy is desired, that every birth is safe and that no one is exposed to gender-based violence or harmful customs such as girl circumcision or child marriage.
"These are major challenges that require focus, commitment, investment and a common strong will. Especially now that COVID-19 has rolled the development back in so many areas," the caption continued.
"We know that COVID-19 reinforces existing challenges. For example, 25 million unsafe abortions are performed worldwide each year, and due to COVID-19, another three million women are expected to have an unsafe abortion this year."
The post concluded by explaining that gender-based violence statistics are also worrying. "We heard that the increase in some places was up to 40 percent ... There is a lot to be done to create a better world," the caption roughly translated to.
Princess Mary has done a substantial amount of work surrounding women and girls, especially in the realm of education.
While the royal has been unable to travel across the globe as she usually does, she has continued working hard from her Danish base with regular virtual meetings.