UN Secretary General calls on the authorities of all countries to uphold the rights of women
Ensure the representation of women in all spheres of life, achieve equal pay, address the issue of gender-based violence and provide space for representatives of the new generation. The UN Secretary General called on the authorities of all countries to fight for women's rights, the UN press service reported.
This was announced by Antonio Guterres, speaking on Monday at the opening of the 65th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. He recalled that the current COVID-19 crisis has a “woman's face”: women are 24% more likely to lose their jobs and livelihoods as a result of the consequences of the pandemic than men.
They also usually carry the entire burden of unpaid household chores on their shoulders. “Now it is difficult to calculate all the damage that women have suffered, but the consequences of the crisis will be felt for decades to come, and they will also affect future generations. It's time to change the course,” the UN head is convinced.
According to him, the experience of many decades shows that the participation of women in the life of society leads to an improvement in the economic situation, to an increase in the effectiveness of social programs, to a more stable world and to progress in combating climate change.
Today, the Secretary General noted, women have also shown themselves in confronting the COVID-19 pandemic. “Among the states where COVID-19 countermeasures were not so effective, there were those where forceful methods prevail and women's rights were not respected,” Guterres said. Women also play a more active role at the local level, with women's organizations taking on critical services and much-needed information.
At the same time, the pandemic has only highlighted the existing gender imbalance in decision-making. According to a study in 87 countries, 85% of the target populations involved in the COVID-19 response were men. When covering news related to the pandemic, women made up only 20% of the experts to whom journalists approached for information.
The Secretary-General suggested that we reflect on what this all means. “If women do not participate in decision-making, then we perceive the world from only one point of view,” he explained. - We create economic models that do not take into account domestic work. We create digital platforms using gender-biased codes. We are witnessing solutions that threaten sexual and reproductive health rights and limit access to appropriate services. We spend trillions of dollars on weapons that don't even keep us safe, nor do we fight the violence that one in three women faces globally.”
“The Commission [on the Status of Women], which identifies systemic imbalances and mobilizes society to combat them, will continue to play a key role and change attitudes [towards women's rights],” said Antonio Guterres. “Together you are a force that cannot be stopped,” said the UN head, addressing the participants in the 65th session of the Commission on the Status of Women.
The 45-State Commission on the Status of Women deals with international standards in the field of women's rights. The 65th session will run until March 26th.
