German minister accuses US of curbing women's rights

German Education Minister Karin Prien has accused the Trump administration of undermining women's rights, after the United States voted against the joint declaration at the start of the annual meeting of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, reported dpa.

"The US and some of its allies clearly have an interest in not making further progress on women's rights and gender issues, and even in rolling back progress," Prien, whose portfolio includes family and women's rights, told German radio station Bayerischer Rundfunk in New York.

Prien said current international efforts were focused on preserving the achievements and gains of past decades and to combat what she said some people described as a "backlash" against the progress made on women's rights.

Prien is currently attending the annual two-week session of the Commission on the Status of Women that kicked off on Monday with a vote to adopt its outcome document.

A total of 37 of 44 states represented on the commission voted in favour of the declaration, while six abstained.

The United States was the only country to vote against the text, citing "ambiguous language promoting gender ideology."

Prien voted in favour of the declaration, which focuses on safeguarding women's rights through the justice system and repealing discriminatory laws.

On Thursday, the minister noted that framework conditions to improve women's rights had changed.

"I am glad that Germany and the European countries are standing together very closely on this issue and that we are working resolutely together not to roll back women's rights, but to further develop them," she said.

Prien said she remains hopeful, "because multilateralism is clearly not dead."

The international community is proving resilient to attempts, particularly by the US, to pursue a different policy, she said.