"Women's rights are being abused, threatened and violated around the world" - UN Chief at CSW67

and now

I now invite the Secretary General of

the United Nations his Excellency

Antonio Gutierrez to address the

commission thank you for being here

Secretary General we know you came all

the way from Doha to be with us and we

know again this evening you're on your

way out but we do appreciate your

presence with us today you have

[Applause]

Madam presidents excellencies

distinguished delegates friends

the session of the commission on the

status of women

is one of the most important annual

events at the United Nations

and it takes on even greater

significance at the time when women's

rights are being abused threatened and

violated around the world

progress one over decades is Vanishing

before our eyes

in Afghanistan women and girls have been

erased from public life

in many places women sexual and

Reproductive Rights are being rolled

back

in some countries girls go to school

risk kidnapping and assaults in others

police prey on vulnerable women they

have sworn to protect

gender equality is growing more distant

on the current tract where Newman puts

it 300 years away

maternal mortality is increasing

one woman dies every two minutes during

pregnancy or childbirths most of these

deaths are preventable

the impact of the covid-19 pandemic

continues for millions of girls forced

out of school mothers and Caregivers for

start to pay the employment and children

forced into early marriage

from Ukraine to the sale crisis and

conflicts affect women and girls first

and worst

and that's International level some

countries now even oppose the inclusion

of a gender perspective in multilateral

negotiations

dear friends

the patriarchy is fighting back

but so are we

and I am here to say loud and clear the

United Nations stands with women and

girls everywhere

the deputy secretary General and the

executive director of U.N women recently

visited Afghanistan with a clear message

for the authorities

women and girls have fundamental human

rights and we will never give up

fighting for them

the United Nations country teams and

humanitarian agencies around the world

are helping to provide practical support

and care for women in crisis situations

gender equality and investment in girls

and women are Central to all our

humanitarian and development work

our political and peacekeeping missions

continue to promote women's

participation in all peace processes and

they have enormous overcome overcome

enormous obstacles and they ensure

women's priorities are integral to our

political work

this is the only route to a sustainable

enduring peace

distinguished Representatives

dear friends

let's be clear

the international

Frameworks are not working for the

world's women and girls

they need to change

my initiatives for a stimulus to get the

sustainable development goals on track

and to reform the Global Financial

system aim to increase resources for

investment in women and girls at the

country level

my reports on our common agenda

highlights gender equality in all that

we do

I have instructed the UN system that all

our support to member states in

preparing for the summit of the future

must reflect our commitment to gender

equality and women's rights

as part of our common agenda I

commissioned an independent review of

our capacity around gender equality

across all pillars of our work

the conclusions and recommendations will

address structures funding and

Leadership so that we can better deliver

for the women of the world

gender parity in our Personnel is a

vital step towards gender equality in

our work

five years into the system-wide strategy

on gender parity

throughout the UN system we have come a

long way

we reached gender parity among the

180 members of the senior leadership and

our resident coordinators throughout the

countries of the world

regarding our professional staff the

Secretariat as a whole is forecast to be

close to parity in 2025 which is three

years before the deadline

but

and I must be clear the obstacles are

more difficult to surmount in the

missions on the ground

and that is why now our efforts will

prioritize areas where progress has been

slow and I hope that member states will

understand the need for change

and will support us in adapting our

rules to facilitate our movement towards

gender parity

distinguished delegates dear friends

your focused this year on closing gender

gaps in technology and Innovation could

not be more timely

because as technology raises ahead women

and girls are being left behind

the myth is simple

without the insights and creativity of

all for the world Science and Technology

will fulfill just off their potential

three billion people are still

unconnected to the internet but the

majority of them

women and girls in developing countries

and the least developed countries just

19 percent of women are online

globally girls and women make up just

one third of students in science

technology engineering and Mathematics

in the tech industry men outnumber women

two to one

but in artificial intelligence only

about one out of five workers is a woman

and artificial intelligence is shaping

our future worlds let's hope it will not

be shaped in a totally gender biased way

the covid-19 pandemic magnified

inequalities in access to the internet

and intensify the dangers women and

girls face online

misogynistic disinformation and

misinformation flourish on social media

platforms

so-called gender trolling is

specifically aimed at silencing women

and forcing them out of public life

the stories may be fake but the Damage

Done is very real

distinguished delegates dear friends

centuries of patriarchy discrimination

and harmful stereotypes have created a

huge gender gap in science and

technology

women account for just three percent of

Nobel Prize winners in science

categories

ago Emmanuel charpontier and Jennifer

made history as the first all-women team

to win a Nobel Prize in science ever

and themes of men have shared the price

172 times

big data is the new gold and the

foundation of today's political and

business decisions

but it often ignores gender differences

or turns a blind eye to women all

together

resulting in products and services that

baking gender inequality from the start

we see gender biased algorithms

proliferate everywhere

and we cannot let the Silicon valleys of

our worlds become death valleys for

women's rights

we need the full contributions of all

for a future in which Humanity controls

technology rather than the other way

around

and gender inequality is a question of

power

and today I call for Urgent action to

equalize power in three ways

first increasing education income and

employment for women and girls

particularly in the global South

connecting women in the global South to

the online World requires us to address

Rising levels of poverty and inequality

second leaders must promote women's and

girls full participation leadership in

science and technology from governments

to boardrooms and classrooms

United Nations first ever report on

Technology Innovation education and

gender equality provides many

recommendations they must be followed

it calls for gender responsive education

and skills training

algorithms that align with human rights

and gender equality and investment in

Bridging the digital gender divides

more than ever we need Collective action

by governments Civil Society the private

sector and the technology community

and third we must create a Safe digital

environment for women and girls

the United Nations is working with other

stakeholders to advance a code of

conduct for information Integrity on

digital platforms

the goal is to reduce harm and increase

accountability while defending the right

to freedom of expression

excellencies promoting women's full

contributions to science technology and

Innovation is not an act of Charity or a

favor to women

it is a must and it benefits everyone

when women get medical services online

their families and communities are

healthier

when women access online banking and

resources without buyers they start

businesses that benefit their societies

and economies

when women have access to Safe digital

platforms they build communities that

can change the world look at the metoo

movements

and when women scientists and

Technologies tackle Global problems they

multiply the chance of finding Solutions

many technology leaders especially women

know that inequality and exclusion are

immoral and commercial that ends

women and girls are leading efforts to

make science and technology accessible

inclusive and safe

and in many countries girls are studying

science technology and math in record

numbers these must be followed

everywhere

women and girls will not be silenced

they are demands for their rights and

freedoms Echo around the globe and the

commission on the status of women is a

Dynamo and Catalyst for the

transformation we need

together let us push back

against the pushback on women's rights

against misogyny and forward for women

girls and our worlds and I thank you

[Applause]

I think the