UN chief: Gender equality ‘300 years away’

António Guterres, the United Nations secretary-general, said on Monday that the global progress on women’s rights has been disappointing, adding that worldwide gender equality appears to be centuries away.

During a General Assembly speech, Guterres said that progress in the women’s rights movement has been vanishing for decades, noting ongoing issues such as threats to abortion rights and the current state of women and girls in Afghanistan living under Taliban rule. 

“Gender equality is growing more distant,” he said. “On the current track, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women puts it 300 years away.”

Guterres called on world governments, civil society organizations and private sector groups to launch initiatives on gender equality, including increasing education, income and employment for women and girls and encouraging world leaders to promote women’s and girls’ full participation and leadership in science and technology.

“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 divide,” Guterres said. “More than ever, we need collective action by Governments, civil society, the private sector and the technology community.”

His comments come after the U.N.’s economic and social council voted out Iran from its Commission on the Status of Women in December due to its government’s ongoing repression of a women-led social movement, according to the Guardian.

Iranian authorities have cracked down on waves of protests in recent months sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody after being arrested by authorities for improperly wearing her hijab, which violated Iran’s strict rules on female dress codes. 

Protesters have been calling for an end to violence and discrimination toward women in the country and in some cases for the overthrow of the ruling regime.

“Women and girls will not be silenced,” Guterres said. “Their demands for their rights and freedoms echo around the globe.”

“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 world.”