UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday called for actions to defend and advance the rights of all women and girls, ahead of International Women’s Day, which falls on March 8.
“We gather today not just to celebrate the International Women’s Day, but to move forward — resilient, united, and unwavering in our pursuit of equality, development and peace for all women everywhere in the interest of humanity,” said Guterres in remarks at an event at the UN headquarters in New York.
He said this year marks the 30th anniversary of the landmark conference, the UN World Conference on Women held in Beijing, China, in 1995, and its reaffirmation that women’s rights are human rights.
Since then, women have broken barriers, shattered ceilings, and reshaped societies, the UN chief said. “Yet, these hard-fought gains remain fragile — and far from enough.”
Guterres said that violence, discrimination and economic inequality still plague our societies.
“As we see in every corner of the world, from pushback to rollback, women’s rights are under attack. Centuries of discrimination are being worsened by new threats,” he said. “Instead of mainstreaming equal rights, we are witnessing the mainstreaming of chauvinism and misogyny.”
“We cannot stand by as progress is reversed. We must fight back,” he stressed.
Guterres affirmed his commitment to the Gender Equality Clarion Call, which is part of the UN System-wide Gender Equality Acceleration Plan: “A bold, urgent pledge to defend and advance the rights of all women and girls.”
“So, on this International Women’s Day, let us be guided by the voices of women and girls around the world, and always choose action over apathy. Let us realize the vision of the Beijing Declaration. Accelerate action. And march forward — for every woman, for every girl, for everyone, everywhere,” the UN chief said.
