UN chief applauds women civil society groups as foundation shakers

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday, applauded civil society groups for “shaking the foundations of privilege” in a male-dominated world.

Guterres stated this at a town hall meeting on the margins of the 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) at UN Headquarters in New York.

The session which began on March 10 is expected to end on March 19.

“You are foundation-shakers and you are shaking out justice, dignity and equality for communities across the globe.”

Highlighting persistent power imbalances, including in politics, the economy and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), he warned of a growing backlash against women’s rights fuelled by disinformation and culture wars.

“These are trying times,” Guterres, who is serving his last year as the UN chief, said.

“A bitter wind is blowing around the world. That wind is hardening attitudes and fuelling a backlash against women’s rights.”

He added that the “bittervl wind” “thrives on disinformation, that exploits fear and insecurity, that weaponises culture wars and that seeks to push women into silence.”

He emphasised “the last thing I want from you today is silence.”

Representatives from around the world then took the floor, with several participants questioning the proposed merger of UN Women and UN Population Fund (UNFPA).

UN Women is the UN body leading gender equality efforts and the UNFPA is the agency for sexual and reproductive health.

The UN chief said the proposal to merge the two agencies aims to create a “more powerful” one, with both mandates continuing with shared resources.

A professor of Law from Nigeria, Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, raised concerns about shrinking public spaces, funding shortfalls and government crackdowns and offered a solution.

“It’s time States must tell themselves the truth. Now, it’s time to reassert that women’s rights are human rights”, she said.

Exeilo said that in spite of gains since Beijing, “States must contribute to advancing women’s rights.”

The Secretary-General hopes to leave as his legacy, the changing power relations to advance gender equality alongside his efforts to do so during his 10-year tenure.

Defending hard-won rights for women and girls, opening new doors and building coalitions when societies are being pulled apart “is not easy”, Guterres said.

“It comes at a price. You may face threats, intimidation and harassment. When you push for change, you are pushing against the patriarchy, and the patriarchy is pushing back.”

The outgoing UN Secretary-General pledged his support and outlining the UN’s gender equality efforts, urging participants to “keep shaking the foundations of privilege.”

“You can count on me to be with you, now and always, and together, we will say loud and clear.

“No to the pushback, no to the rollback, no to going back, no surrender. We will never, ever give up.”