The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres said at the 66-opening session of the Commission on the Status of Women that the UN is working determinedly to support the participation and leadership of women in building and maintaining peace.

He noted that, even though women and girls are confronting incredible threats and deepest harm, they are doing a great job in combating climate and environmental crises.

“Millennia has negatively affected women and prevented their voices from being heard. Their role is important without them we cannot achieve our remarkable goals. Women continue to be largely excluded from the rooms where decisions are taken”, he told the session.

“Gender equality and women’s rights must be at the heart of a renewed social contract that is fit for today’s societies and economies. We are seeing pushback on women’s rights. We must push back on the pushback,” he said. http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/20220315/9cfe99f370374d4eacdeefcbe83e8da4/c.html#:~:text=Women’s%20equal%20leadership%20and%20participation,patriarchy%20and%20exclusion%2C%20he%20said.

António Guterres stressed that the UN special envoys and representatives are designing and supporting women’s strategies. This is not only a matter of justice women’s equal leadership and participation are vital to creating peaceful, resilient communities and societies, he concluded.

UN/ Reuters.