New York: Women’s rights are under siege, and the world must take urgent action, said United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Speaking at a United Nations event on the eve of International Women’s Day, Guterres cautioned that centuries of gender discrimination are being compounded by emerging threats, jeopardizing hard-won progress.
Highlighting the growing challenges, Guterres pointed to the double-edged nature of digital tools. “While brimming with promise, they are also often silencing women’s voices, amplifying bias, and fueling harassment,” Guterres warned. He also stressed the alarming trend of online violence leading to real-world harm.
The UN chief underscored how gender equality struggles are increasingly intertwined with political battles. “Women’s bodies have become political battlegrounds,” he asserted, referencing global efforts to control and police women’s rights.
Guterres urged the international community to push back against these setbacks, emphasizing that gender equality extends beyond mere fairness. “It is about power – who gets a seat at the table, and who is locked out,” he stated. “It is about dismantling systems that allow inequalities to fester. And it is about ensuring a better world for all.”
As International Women’s Day is marked worldwide, his message serves as a stark reminder that without collective action, the progress achieved over decades risks being undone.
