Guterres says women’s rights ‘under attack’ calls to reverse dangerous trend

Anjali Sharma

GG News Bureau
UNITED NATIONS, 14th March. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday told the annual town hall meeting of civil society activists that the women’s rights are under attack, and governments must act to reverse that dangerous trend, as the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68) session began its first week, with a host of side events highlighted deteriorating conditions of both women and girls globally.

He said that “After decades of progress, women’s rights are being undermined and reversed.”

Guterres pointed to several ominous examples, he said women’s rights are severely restricted in Afghanistan, sexual violence is being reported during the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict and the patriarchy is pushing back against hard-won rights women have striven to achieve.

“The women of my generation did not win the fight for their rights only to see their daughters and granddaughters fight the same battle,” he said at the town hall meeting.

Mr. Guterres said governments and civil society must work together to ensure efforts include women at the table in peacebuilding, bridging the digital divide and ensuring gender equality, from inequalities in political power to the male-dominated artificial intelligence field.

“The patriarchy may be pushing back, but so are we,” he said.

He encouraged governments to “put their money where their mouth is” by funding equal rights and opportunities for women and girls.

“Equality requires investment,” he said.

He emphasized the need to urge governments to take action to reduce poverty and inequalities.

Guterres said the Summit of the Future is a chance to advance progress, added that women and girls have been a constant priority in the planning process.

“I will never stop fighting for a world that works for women and girls,” he said. “The question is of gender equality is a question of power. In my experience, power is never given; power has to be taken.”

UN agencies and partners lead a discussion on the situation of women and children in Gaza, which faces growing hunger alongside the ongoing besiegement, bombardment and invasion by Israeli armed forces responding to Hamas attacks on Israel in October, he noted

Heli Uusikyla of the UN agency for Palestine, UNRWA, provided a grim snapshot of the current situation on the ground, said that women and girls remain extremely vulnerable amid continued bombing and attacks.

UNWRA said that some 9,000 women and 13,000 children were killed.

She briefed participants on the humanitarian impact of the conflict. Every day, about 53 women are killed, she said, cited UN Women reports.

Ms. Heli Uusikyla reported unhygienic living conditions have spread the disease, and overcrowding in shelters sees 888 people per toilet and 5,400 people for each available shower room.

“People go days without eating,” Ms. Uuikyla said, with 155,000 pregnant women facing malnutrition.

Laila Baker of the UNFPA, said that tens of thousands of pregnant or nursing women are unable to access the food they need and 180 give birth every day.

She reported that malnutrition rates for children under 2 has rose from under one per cent in October to an unprecedented 15 per cent today.

“Hunger is a deadly threat at the moment; every day is a fight for survival,” she said.

“More than half a million people are one step away from famine in a society where famine was unheard of.”

She said that all efforts to address concerns of women and girls before October “have turned to dust”.

Heli Uusikyla called for the immediate, safe delivery of humanitarian aid, in line with the provisions of the order issued by the International Court of Justice in January.

UNFPA is working with partners, but some are under attack and medical staff lack the safe conditions, medicine and supplies to treat their patients.

“The only way to address that is to call for an immediate ceasefire,” she said,.

She called for equal protection for all.

Over 7,000 delegates are participating in CSW68, which runs from 11 to 22 March