“A wave of misogyny and a furious advertising against equality threatens to hit the brake and push progress in reverse march“He said.
“Let me be clear: This is unacceptable, immoral and self -destructive. We should stop it – and we should stop together. ”
The event, marking 30 years since the Beijing’s Declaration and 25 years since the milestone Security Council Resolution 1325 About women, peace and safety, they saw civil society leaders raise concerns about reducing civic space, subfinance of feminist movements and increased gender -based violence.
Rettrace rights
By recognizing progress in health and maternal education, the secretary general warned that the gains won with a lot of effort are at risk.
“Women’s organizations and civil society played an important role in ensuring these gains. Applaud your efforts. However, women and girls still face a terrible variety of errors, ”he said.
The threats faced by women’s rights advocates were a major concern. “Throughout the world, women’s rights advocates face harassment, threats and violence – even murder.”
“They face that they decrease the civil space and decreasing funds. The result: the erosion of rights and a deficit of responsibility, ”he warned.
Linda Sestock of the Canadian Federation of University Women, asked the UN head how civil society could be better integrated with CSW negotiations.
Guterres recognized the challenge, noting that “power is never given, must be taken” and urged feminist movements to mobilize.
Power and parity
The secretary general emphasized the structural inequalities that persist. “We still live in a men -dominated world with a men -dominated culture,” he said.
Highlighting progress within the UN system, he stated that “the UN system has reached and sustained gender parity at leadership level.”
Women now occupy 53 % of senior management positions, although they admitted that challenges remain in field offices in conflict zones, where the representation is lower.
The speakers also highlighted the male domain in technology and engineering.
“Clear male predominance in areas such as technologies, engineering and mathematics (…) can be seen in many of the algorithms produced by the technology industry being biased against women,” he noted.
Finance gaps
A representative of the restless movement of the Youth Movement requested dedicated funding for young feminists, particularly those living in conflict zones.
“True inclusion requires co-creation, dedicated financing and decision-making power for young people at all levels,” she said.
The secretary general agreed, pointing to the available limited resources. “Let’s get clear, the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund It raised $ 100 million since 2023 for this purpose, which is completely insufficient to properly support civil society. ”
Civil society leaders have pressured concrete commitments, installing UN and Member States to revitalize CSW, decentralizing consultations and improving accessibility and ensuring sustainable financing for feminist organizations.
A Women’s Secretary-General?
As the event was completed, a representative of sociologists for women in society asked the question that many have long placed themselves:
“When will we finally have the first woman, UN Women’s Secretary-General?”
Guterres answered openly. “Now, I won’t apologize for not being a woman,” he said, while the assembly responded with laughs, but suggested that he was determined to “act decisively against routine and promote an effective gender parity mechanism for the UN.”
He reaffirmed the purpose of the UN of total gender parity by 2028, with constant progress already done, and He expressed “hope” that those who will choose the next secretary -General “will be wise.”
“We share a common vision: a world of equality, where human rights of women and girls are performed in full. We will continue to work together to make this view a reality, ”he concluded.
Political Declaration adopted
Later, the States -Member adopted By consensus, a powerful political statement reaffirming its commitment to promote rights, equality and empowerment for all women and girls.
Recognizing that 2025 presents a significant opportunity to intensify efforts for the complete implementation of Beijing’s Declaration and Platform of Action, originally adopted in 1995 in the fourth World Conference on Women, the States -Member reaffirmed that gender equality is essential for sustainable development and to fulfill the promise to leave anyone behind.
Thanking his adoption, Sima Bahous, Sob Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women said that “At a time when gains lasts for gender equality are under attack, the global community gathered in a demonstration of unity for all women and girls, everywhere”.
2025, ‘a crucial moment’
THE Declaration reinforces commitments to women, peace and securityEmphasizing the need to integrate the voices and leadership of women in all stages of conflict prevention, peace construction and conflict resolution.
He recommends member states to eliminating all forms of violence against women and girlsincluding emerging forms such as digital violence, on -line harassment and cyberbullying.
“No nation has yet reached gender equality,” Bahous added, stating that the statement “makes it clear that the world’s governments recognize 2025 as a crucial moment, where promises made 30 years can no longer postpone.”
