UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses civil society representatives at the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. UN Secretary General: the fight for women’s rights is meeting with increasing resistance Women
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on civil society to continue fighting for the rights of women and girls, warning of a growing tide of resistance to gender equality in many countries around the world.
Speaking at a meeting with human rights defenders at the UN headquarters in New York on the sidelines of the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, the UN head thanked them for their work “at the forefront” of the global movement.
“Patriarchy fights back”
“Every day you defend the won rights of women and girls, open new opportunities and build coalitions at a time when there is a split in societies,” he said.
According to the Secretary-General, this work is often subject to threats, intimidation and harassment.
“When you advocate for change, you challenge patriarchy. And the patriarchy fights back,” he noted.
Guterres stressed that the world is still “a man’s world with a male culture,” and gender equality is largely about the issue of power – in the areas of politics, economics and technologies that shape the future, including artificial intelligence. The concentration of power in the tech sector reflects a deep gender imbalance, he said.
Progress within the UN system
The UN head noted that over the past decade the Organization has achieved significant results in ensuring gender balance. For the first time in the history of the UN, parity was achieved among senior management – both at headquarters and among heads of missions around the world.
While ten years ago women made up about 30 percent of the approximately 160 senior UN officials, today complete gender balance has been achieved. The Secretary General emphasized that this did not require changing the selection rules.
“You don’t need to change the rules to achieve gender parity. We just need to ensure that women have the same opportunities as men,” he said.
According to him, achieving gender balance has strengthened the work of the Organization, increased its authority and improved performance.
Growing resistance
At the same time, Guterres warned of an alarming trend – an intensifying global reaction against women’s rights.
This wave, he continued, is fueled by misinformation, fears and so-called “culture wars.” However, Guterres stressed that women continue to play a key role in the fight for human rights – from health and climate change to peacebuilding and labor rights.
“We will not give up”
The Secretary-General called on activists to continue their work, recalling that the progress made remains fragile.
“Rights can be lost much faster than they were won,” he warned.
In conclusion, Guterres assured the meeting participants of his support.
“We will say loudly and clearly: no rollback, no abandonment of what has been achieved. We will never give up,” said the Secretary General.