UN chief calls to fight violence against women
16 March, 2021
UN Secretary-Basic Antonio Guterres called on Mon (Mar 15) to fight violence against women, in the beginning of the twelve-monthly Commission on the Position of Women, which is expected to call for greater actions against sexual harassment.
Through the pandemic, women have already been more exposed than men to harmful consequences, Guterres said, citing loss of jobs, sexual abuse or child marriage.
"Women's equal participation may be the game-changer we need," he explained, calling for gender equality and gender parity in leadership.
"Only 22 countries happen to be headed by a female Head of State or perhaps Authorities. And at current costs parity among Heads of Authorities will not be realized until 2150," Guterres said.
"That's right, another 130 years of guys making the same varieties of decisions they possess made for days gone by 130 years and more."
According to the UN chief, the coronavirus pandemic "provided just one more opportunity for men to dominate decision-making".
"And we use trillions about weapons that fail to get us safer, while neglecting the violence that one in three women of all ages globally have observed," he said.
"Changing these default settings must be viewed as an imperative," Guterres said, urging the UN's 193 customers to "enact a crisis response plan ... to handle violence against girls and girls".
Like every year, the Commission on the Status of Women, which takes place from Mar 15 to Mar 26, includes thousands of women for speeches, exchanges and a large number of specific events.
Its member countries started negotiating a 51-site file which, according to a recent version acquired by AFP, "recognizes that gender inequalities continue being reflected found in imbalances of vitality ... between men and women," and that such inequality is present "in all spheres of society".
In addition, it "expresses concern" at widespread violence against ladies in public existence - including cyber-bullying, harassment, stalking and threatening.
Harassment - online or perhaps off - and sexual abuse "certainly are a violation and abuse of human rights and pose a major impediment to women's ... participation and leadership in every spheres of public lifestyle," the record continues, caution that such harassment can create a "hostile environment".
Much like the 2020 session, the 65th Commission will be mainly virtual because of the pandemic.
This year's speakers include new US Vice President Kamala Harris, French minister of gender equality Elisabeth Moreno, Mexican vice minister for multilateral affairs and human rights Martha Delgado Peralta, and the European commissioner for international partnerships, Finland's Jutta Urpilainen.
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com
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