UN chief: Extreme poverty for women may last 130 years

Afghan women wait to receive fiscal aid from Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) in Kohsan district of Herat province on September 25, 2024. (AFP)

MANILA, Philippines— The world is 130 years away from eradicating extreme poverty among women and girls unless urgent action is taken, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned Friday during an event marking International Women’s Day.

Speaking at UN headquarters, Guterres called attention to the fragile nature of gender equality gains made over the past three decades, emphasizing that progress is being reversed in many areas. He pointed to rising violence, discrimination, and economic inequality that continue to hold women back globally.

“Every 10 minutes, a woman is killed by her partner or a family member,” Guterres said. “612 million women and girls live under the shadow of armed conflicts, where their rights are too often considered expendable.”

Women’s participation in the workforce remains disproportionately low, with less than two-thirds engaged in the labor market and those who do working for significantly lower wages than men. Meanwhile, digital platforms are increasingly being used to silence women and amplify bias, exacerbating longstanding discrimination, Guterres noted.

“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 said.

Guterres highlighted several UN initiatives aimed at reversing the setbacks, including the Pact for the Future, which calls for greater investment in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and increased financial support for education, job creation, and social protections.

He also pointed to the Global Digital Compact, which seeks to close the gender digital divide and curb online abuse against women.

Efforts to combat gender-based violence have already seen progress through the Spotlight Initiative, a joint program with the European Union that has helped prevent 21 million women and girls from experiencing gender-based violence and kept one million more girls in school. Conviction rates for gender-based violence have doubled in 13 countries participating in the initiative, according to Guterres.

As part of the UN’s broader strategy, Guterres announced the organization’s commitment to the Gender Equality Clarion Call, a pledge focused on unified leadership, resistance against setbacks, coordinated efforts to dismantle systemic inequalities, and protection of women’s rights defenders.

“The fight for gender equality is not just about fairness. It is about power — who gets a seat at the table and who is locked out,” he said. “When women and girls rise, everyone thrives.”

The secretary-general urged governments, organizations, and businesses to take concrete action in advancing gender equality, underscoring that achieving parity in leadership, education, and economic opportunities benefits societies as a whole.

“Let us realize the vision of the Beijing Declaration, accelerate action, and march forward — for every woman, for every girl, for everyone, everywhere,” he said.