Concrete measures necessary to protect women’s rights, United Nations

Concrete measures necessary to protect women’s rights, United Nations

UN officials say that women are the first to suffer in wars and conflicts, but they are extremely underrepresented in diplomatic negotiations. He called for more measures to protect the rights of women

On International Women’s Day, March 8, UN Women Executive Director Seema Bauhaus urged the international community to do more to protect the lives, health and rights of women around the world.

Addressing a debate on women, peace and security at the UN Security Council, Seema Bahous said, “We should remember that we have neither made any significant changes in the people sitting at the peace negotiation tables nor There has been no change in the treatment of perpetrators of atrocities against women and girls.”

Bahous cited “gender discrimination” in Afghanistan, saying that since the Taliban came to power in August 2021, women have been excluded from public life, barring women from universities, parks, and C jobs have been removed.

 “Afghanistan is one of the most extreme examples of restricting women’s rights, but it is not the only country to do so,” she said.

Bauhaus said that 90 percent of the 8 million Ukrainians forced to leave the country during Russia’s war against Ukraine are women and their children. While women and girls make up about 70 percent of the millions of displaced people inside Ukraine

Involvement of women is the only solution

“With the inclusion of women in the process, peace is the only solution,” said the UN Women executive director.

He urged world leaders to act in line with the landmark UN Security Council resolution adopted in 2000, which highlighted the role of women in conflict prevention and resolution.

US Ambassador Linda Thomas Greenfield also expressed the same sentiment.

She said, “I will draw attention to the violence and oppression women and girls face around the world in Iran, Afghanistan, the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine and many other places around the world.

Gender Equality Will Still Take Three Centuries’

Earlier, opening the debate, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that global progress on women’s rights is “disappearing before our eyes” and further progress in achieving the elusive goal of gender equality. It will take three centuries.

“Women’s rights are being exploited, endangered and violated all over the world,” he said.

He added that the progress achieved in decades is disappearing before our eyes. In this regard, he particularly highlighted the dire situation in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, where “women and girls have disappeared from public life.”

The UN Secretary-General did not name other countries specifically, but stressed that “in many places women’s sexual and reproductive rights are being withdrawn and in some countries, school-going girls are abducted and There is a risk of facing attacks.”

Antonio Guterres said centuries of patriarchy, discrimination and harmful stereotypes have created a huge gender gap in science and technology. He gave an example and said how the number of Nobel laureates in these fields is only 3% of women.

She called for a ‘collective effort’ from governments, civil society and the private sector worldwide to provide gender-focused education, improve skills training and invest more in ‘bridging the digital gender divide’. To be done