UN Chief Urges Gender Equality, Women’s Empowerment
UN Chief Calls for Action on Women's Rights on International Women's Day
Source: UN / Image:© UNDP India
The UN’s top official made these remarks while addressing a gathering at the General Assembly Hall in New York on March 8, on the occasion of International Women’s Day. This year, the theme of the International Day is: “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress.” According to the UN Secretary-General, when the doors of equal opportunities open for women and girls, everyone benefits. “Equal societies are far more prosperous and peaceful, and they form the foundation of sustainable development,” he stated.
From pushback to rollback, women’s human rights are under attack.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) March 7, 2025
Instead of mainstreaming equal rights, we’re seeing the mainstreaming of misogyny.
Together, let’s stand firm in making rights, equality & empowerment a reality for all women & girls, for everyone, everywhere. pic.twitter.com/YS7GoWwjaf
The UN chief pointed out that significant progress has been made since the UN Conference in Beijing 30 years ago, which led to improvements in women’s rights and their recognition as human rights. However, he warned that women’s rights are under attack. Societies are still grappling with past horrors such as violence, discrimination, and economic inequality, while new challenges, including biased algorithms on online platforms, are reinforcing disparities and enabling new forms of harassment and abuse.
According to the Secretary-General, instead of mainstreaming equal rights, misogyny itself is becoming mainstream. He stressed the need to fight these challenges by ensuring equal opportunities for women and girls. This includes investing in equality-driven initiatives, closing wage gaps, enforcing laws to end gender-based violence, and guaranteeing full participation of women in peacebuilding and key decision-making processes. Additionally, he highlighted the importance of creating opportunities for women and girls in fields such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
He emphasized, “When women and girls advance, we all thrive. Let’s stand firmly to turn these rights, equality, and empowerment into reality for all women and girls, everywhere.”
UN Women’s Call for Action
Seema Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women, addressed the participants at the General Assembly Hall, stating that efforts for gender equality will not stop until equality becomes a shared reality and collective achievement. She emphasized that real solutions require putting women at the center of decision-making processes.
“From governments to boardrooms, classrooms to households, women’s equality is the greatest solution,” she stated. She further stressed that society must choose between taking action or remaining passive, as these choices define us. “History will record these decisions permanently, and we must choose rights, equality, and empowerment for all women and girls.”
Global Challenges to Women’s Rights
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk expressed gratitude to women human rights defenders fighting for equality. However, he also voiced concern that the progress made in women’s rights is under threat. Women’s bodily autonomy is being reversed, restrictions are being imposed on healthcare, and online abuse is silencing and harming them. Given these ongoing challenges, he called for standing in solidarity with women.
The World Health Organization (WHO) also highlighted that one in three women worldwide faces physical or sexual violence. Additionally, about 25% of workplace violence cases occur in hospitals and clinics, disproportionately affecting women.
Claudia Fuentes, Deputy Head of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, reiterated that women’s equality is a fundamental human rights issue. She cited a UN Women report, which found that in one out of four countries, opposition to women’s rights progress is growing.
Expressing concern, Fuentes warned that decades of progress risk being reversed. “When women and girls—half of humanity—are denied their human rights, society as a whole loses its potential.”
