Amid Thriving Sexism, Misogny, People Everywhere Must Fight for Gender Equality by 2030, Deputy Secretary-General Stresses at International Women’s Day Event

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed’s remarks at the International Women’s Day event, in New York today:

Ladies and gentlemen, and especially the young women in the audience today, I am truly honoured to be with you to celebrate this most important Day.  I use that word really carefully and deliberately.  Every day, in every way, we must celebrate women.

And we must respect and honour their contribution to today’s world and to a better future for all humanity — as partners and mothers and caregivers; as political and business leaders; as agents of change and as pioneers for equality.

The 2030 Agenda [for Sustainable Development] recognizes that women and girls are indispensable for durable peace, true justice and sustainable development.  Where women and girls are held back and subjugated, societies suffer.  When they advance, societies advance with them.

And that is why gender equality and empowerment for women and girls is the subject of Sustainable Development Goal 5 and embedded throughout the 2030 Agenda.  And it is why the needs and the priorities of women and girls are enshrined in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, the 1325 Global Review on Women, Peace and Security, and the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Collectively, these global commitments constitute a historic “gender equality compact”.  Planet 50-50 by 2030.  So, now, with your help, we need to get to work.  The clock is ticking, and we women are impatient.  It is more than two decades since we heard the clarion call that “women’s rights are human rights” in Beijing.  It sounds obvious, even banal, to even have to say it.  But, when we look around, we see a profound gap between aspiration and reality.

Women’s rights and opportunities are consistently neglected and even under threat — in all regions.  Sexism and misogyny are alive and thriving.  Everywhere, we see tradition, cultural values and religion being used to hold women and girls back.  Their rights over their own bodies are questioned and undermined.

Women and girls are routinely targeted for intimidation and harassment online and in real life.  Violence against women and girls is a continuing pandemic.  Extremists and terrorists preach the subjugation of women and girls.  And they are fleeing in record numbers.

Half the world’s 244 million migrants and 19.6 million refugees are female.  But, just as pernicious are the entrenched habits and attitudes of too many societies, and unfortunately, too many men.  Just look around at who are sitting in Governments and in boardrooms.  Do you see equality?  Rarely.

That is why the Secretary-General has been very clear about his commitment to work for gender parity at the United Nations, and for justice and opportunity for women and girls around the world.  And that is why his message for this year’s International Women’s Day has focused on empowerment.

Because, denying the rights of women and girls is not simply wrong in itself.  It has a serious social and economic impact that holds us all back.   When women and girls have full access to education and health services — their rights — the benefits for families and communities reverberate for generations.  And when women participate fully in the labour force, we see dynamism and growth.

And today, I was being told that the locked-up $28 trillion in GDP [gross domestic product] could unlock many trillions if only women were in decision-making roles and in the workplace.  And so, that is why we absolutely must fight for Planet 50-50 by 2030.

The Secretary-General and myself, and everyone on this podium, are committed to do everything we can to achieve this objective.  I am also humbled to be in a role where I can help inspire action for gender equality and empowerment of women and girls.  I cannot think of a cause I could be more proud and humbled to serve.

Today, let us save a thought for the Chibok girls and the thousands of women and girls that have been lost to the horror of terrorism and extreme violence and conflict.

Finally, I would like to wish all of you women and girls — and men and boys — of the world a joyous and empowering International Women’s Day.