Excellencies, distinguished guests, dear friends,
It is always a pleasure to address the Commission on the Status of Women the preeminent global body dedicated to promoting the rights of women and girls.
Progress on womens rights has overwhelmingly come from civil society and womens rights organizations.
I have seen it myself in every corner of the world.泭 And I have seen how that progress benefits all our communities and societies.
So, thank you for everything you do.
Excellencies, my dear friends,
Our world is going through turbulent times, and women and girls are being hit hard.
In conflict zones around the globe, women and girls are suffering most from wars waged by men.
Today is the first day of Ramadan a time of compassion, reflection and understanding.
I am appalled and outraged that conflict is continuing in Gaza during this holy month.
Families seeking shelter from Israeli bombardment are struggling to survive, as hunger and malnutrition take hold.
This is heartbreaking and utterly unacceptable.
Once again, I call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the unconditional release of all hostages, and a massive increase in humanitarian aid.
In a statement to the press this morning, I stressed the need, at the very least, for a cessation of hostilities and the release of the hostages during the holy month of Ramadan.
Last week, I made a similar appeal for a cessation of hostilities in Sudan.
In the spirit of Ramadan, I appeal to all those involved in conflict everywhere to silence the guns and return to the peace table.
Excellencies, dear friends,泭
Around the world, conflict and crisis are increasing, with a devastating impact on women and girls.
In Afghanistan, the Taliban has issued more than 50 edicts suppressing womens and girls rights.
In Sudan, scores of women have reportedly been subjected to rape and other forms of sexual violence in the ongoing conflict.
In Israel, there are horrific accounts in the report by my Special Representative, Pramila Patten, of sexual violence against women and girls and indications of sexualized torture during the terror attacks launched by Hamas and other armed groups on 7 October.
The report also includes shocking testimonies of sexual violence against Palestinian women in detention settings, house raids and checkpoints in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
And more than two-thirds of the tens of thousands of people killed and injured during Israels military operations in Gaza are reportedly women and children.
Meanwhile, despite evidence that womens full participation makes peacebuilding much more effective, the number of women in decision-making roles is actually falling.
Women were virtually absent from talks on ending the conflicts in Ethiopia, Sudan, Myanmar, and Libya.
The facts are clear: Women lead to peace.
Budgets and policies must follow with ambitious targets for womens participation and urgent investments in womens peacebuilding.
Excellencies, dear friends,
Many women and girls are also facing a war on their fundamental rights at home and in their communities.
Hard-fought progress is being reversed.
Womens rights are fundamentally a question of power, and I see two deeply worrying trends.泭
First, despite enormous progress that all of you have helped realize the patriarchy is far from vanquished.泭 It is regaining ground.泭
Autocrats and populists are attacking womens freedoms and their sexual and reproductive rights.
They promote what they call traditional values.
And patriarchy is indeed an age-old tradition. Discrimination against women goes back millennia.
We dont want to bring it back. We want to turn it back.
We cannot accept a world in which grandmothers fear their granddaughters will enjoy fewer rights than they had.
We must speak out, loud and clear:泭 Not on our watch.
At the same time, I see another worrying trend in power relations over the coming decades: in the digital technologies.
Those technologies, and particularly Artificial Intelligence, are today dominated by men as leaders, and at the technical level.
There is a mountain of evidence that when systems are designed by men, they result in biased algorithms. Womens needs, womens bodies, and womens fundamental rights are ignored.
Male-dominated algorithms could literally programme inequalities into activities from urban planning to credit ratings to medical imaging, for years to come.
This endangers men and boys, as well as women and girls.
Its time for governments, civil society and the Silicon Valleys of the world to join a massive effort to bridge the digital gender divide and ensure women have decision-making roles in digital technology at all levels.
This is one of the main goals of the Global Digital Compact that will be central to the Summit of the Future in September.
Excellencies, dear friends,
Your gathering this year is focused on how tackling poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective are critical to accelerate gender equality.泭
The reason is simple: globally, poverty has a female face.
Women have less access to land, natural resources and financial assets.
They suffer the impacts of climate change more than men.
And they are more likely to be food insecure.
The International Labour Organization estimates that, worldwide, women, as an average, earn just 51 cents for every dollar earned by a man.
Economic sectors dominated by women are undervalued, underpaid -- and even, in some cases, unpaid.
Womens invisible domestic labour is a subsidy to the entire economy.
Meanwhile, the violence that is a pervasive feature of many womens lives can feed a vicious cycle:
Poverty intensifies the risks of violence and violence makes women poorer.
This is simply unacceptable.
At the global level, we are failing to invest in women and girls.
And the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; mounting debt; climate-related disasters; and an ongoing cost-of-living crisis are all shrinking the pie even more.
We will not solve todays challenges by relying on a global financial system that helps perpetuate inequality.
I am therefore calling for an SDG Stimulus that would provide $500 billion annually in affordable long-term finance for developing countries. The proposal includes a debt lifeline to create breathing space for countries facing impossible repayment schedules.
Leaders endorsed the Stimulus at last years SDG Summit.
I urge all countries to support these efforts to increase the investments that will achieve SDG 5 on gender equality, and turbocharge progress across the entire 2030 agenda.
And I count on governments support for deep reform of the international financial architecture at the Summit of the Future in September, so that it reflects todays global economy and meets the financial needs of developing countries, enabling them to invest in equality and opportunity for women and girls.
Excellences, chers amis,
Au niveau national, les tats ont la responsabilit矇 d'investir pour 矇liminer la pauvret矇 et assurer un d矇veloppement durable et inclusif pour tous.
Cela passe par une politique budg矇taire et fiscale qui tienne compte des besoins particuliers des femmes et des filles vivant dans la pauvret矇.
Cela passe par des mesures favorisant la pleine participation 矇conomique et lautonomisation des femmes notamment gr璽ce au travail d矇cent, la formation, lam矇lioration des comp矇tences, des services publics accessibles et la protection sociale.
Les tats doivent reconna簾tre le r繫le 矇conomique essentiel du travail de soins non r矇mun矇r矇, en adoptant des mesures qui aident les m癡res et les p癡res exercer un travail r矇mun矇r矇 en dehors du foyer.
Ils doivent veiller ce que leurs politiques climatiques, y compris une transition juste et 矇quitable vers les 矇nergies renouvelables, multiplient les perspectives demploi pour les femmes et am矇liorent lacc癡s des femmes et des filles aux biens et aux services.
Ils doivent 矇galement faire davantage pour pr矇venir le fl矇au mondial de la violence l'矇gard des femmes et des filles, et mettre fin l'abomination que constitue la mutilation g矇nitale f矇minine.
L'矇galit矇 des droits pour les femmes et les filles d矇pend de la fin de la violence et des abus leur encontre.泭
Excellences, chers amis,
Si lon souhaite acc矇l矇rer la r矇alisation de l矇galit矇 des genres en sattaquant au probl癡me de la pauvret矇, il faut que les femmes soient pleinement repr矇sent矇es au sein et au sommet des institutions financi癡res.
Plus de huit ministres des finances sur dix sont des hommes. Dans les banques centrales, plus de neuf gouverneurs sur dix sont des hommes.
Ces institutions financi癡res, domin矇es en tr癡s grande majorit矇 par des hommes, doivent tout prix d矇manteler les barri癡res structurelles qui emp礙chent les femmes de se hisser jusquaux postes de direction.
Continuer comme si de rien n矇tait, cest perp矇tuer la domination des hommes sur les affaires.
Mais les choses ne vont pas changer delles-m礙mes.
Ce nest pas par hasard que nous avons atteint la parit矇 dans les 矇chelons sup矇rieurs du syst癡me des Nations Unies.
Cest parce que nous avons fait preuve dune d矇termination sans faille changer notre culture et donner aux femmes leur place aux postes de direction.
Nos efforts ont port矇 leurs fruits. Pour la premi癡re fois de lhistoire des Nations Unies, nous avons une parit矇 absolue parmi les 矇quipes de direction et les hautes et hauts responsables des entit矇s des Nations Unies du monde entier.
Si lONU peut le faire, les tats peuvent le faire, les banques peuvent le faire, et tout le monde doit le faire.
travers le syst癡me des Nations Unies, la repr矇sentation des femmes parmi les administrateurs et fonctionnaires de rang sup矇rieur a atteint un niveau historique.
Nous nous effor癟ons datteindre la parit矇 absolue tous les niveaux et dans chaque entit矇, en concentrant nos efforts l o羅 les progr癡s sont lents, en particulier dans nos missions sur le terrain.
Et nous soutenons aussi la lutte pour l矇galit矇 bien au-del de notre propre organisation.
loccasion de la Journ矇e internationale des femmes, jai lanc矇 le Plan d'acc矇l矇ration pour l'矇galit矇 des genres l'矇chelle du syst癡me des Nations unies.
Cela nous engage mettre les femmes et les filles au centre de toutes nos activit矇s, donner des associations locales de femmes des possibilit矇s dacc矇der des financements, et travailler avec les tats Membres vers une revitalisation ambitieuse de la Commission de la condition de la femme.泭 Votre Commission.
Excellences, chers amis,
La Commission de la condition de la femme est un catalyseur de la transformation dont nous avons besoin.
En cette p矇riode difficile et marqu矇e par les divisions, uvrons ensemble pour mettre fin la pauvret矇 sous toutes ses formes.
Faisons-le en investissant en faveur des femmes et des filles, en misant sur les femmes et les filles, et en militant pour la paix et la dignit矇 des femmes et des filles, partout dans le monde.
Je vous remercie.
****
[all-English]
Excellencies, distinguished guests, dear friends,
It is always a pleasure to address the Commission on the Status of Women the preeminent global body dedicated to promoting the rights of women and girls.
Progress on womens rights has overwhelmingly come from civil society and womens rights organizations.
I have seen it myself in every corner of the world.泭 And I have seen how that progress benefits all our communities and societies.
So, thank you for everything you do.
Excellencies, my dear friends,
Our world is going through turbulent times, and women and girls are being hit hard.
In conflict zones around the globe, women and girls are suffering most from wars waged by men.
Today is the first day of Ramadan a time of compassion, reflection and understanding.
I am appalled and outraged that conflict is continuing in Gaza during this holy month.
Families seeking shelter from Israeli bombardment are struggling to survive, as hunger and malnutrition take hold.
This is heartbreaking and utterly unacceptable.
Once again, I call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the unconditional release of all hostages, and a massive increase in humanitarian aid.
In a statement to the press this morning, I stressed the need, at the very least, for a cessation of hostilities and the release of the hostages during the holy month of Ramadan.
Last week, I made a similar appeal for a cessation of hostilities in Sudan.
In the spirit of Ramadan, I appeal to all those involved in conflict everywhere to silence the guns and return to the peace table.
Excellencies, dear friends, 泭
Around the world, conflict and crisis are increasing, with a devastating impact on women and girls.
In Afghanistan, the Taliban has issued more than 50 edicts suppressing womens and girls rights.
In Sudan, scores of women have reportedly been subjected to rape and other forms of sexual violence in the ongoing conflict.
In Israel, there are horrific accounts in the report by my Special Representative, Pramila Patten, of sexual violence against women and girls and indications of sexualized torture during the terror attacks launched by Hamas and other armed groups on 7 October.
The report also includes shocking testimonies of sexual violence against Palestinian women in detention settings, house raids and checkpoints in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
And more than two-thirds of the tens of thousands of people killed and injured during Israels military operations in Gaza are reportedly women and children.
Meanwhile, despite evidence that womens full participation makes peacebuilding much more effective, the number of women in decision-making roles is actually falling.
Women were virtually absent from talks on ending the conflicts in Ethiopia, Sudan, Myanmar, and Libya.
The facts are clear: Women lead to peace.
Budgets and policies must follow with ambitious targets for womens participation and urgent investments in womens peacebuilding.
Excellencies, dear friends,
Many women and girls are also facing a war on their fundamental rights at home and in their communities.
Hard-fought progress is being reversed.
Womens rights are fundamentally a question of power, and I see two deeply worrying trends.泭
First, despite enormous progress that all of you have helped realize the patriarchy is far from vanquished.泭 It is regaining ground.泭
Autocrats and populists are attacking womens freedoms and their sexual and reproductive rights.
They promote what they call traditional values.
And patriarchy is indeed an age-old tradition. Discrimination against women goes back millennia.
We dont want to bring it back. We want to turn it back.
We cannot accept a world in which grandmothers fear their granddaughters will enjoy fewer rights than they had.
We must speak out, loud and clear:泭 Not on our watch.
At the same time, I see another worrying trend in power relations over the coming decades: in the digital technologies.
Those technologies, and particularly Artificial Intelligence, are today dominated by men as leaders, and at the technical level.
There is a mountain of evidence that when systems are designed by men, they result in biased algorithms. Womens needs, womens bodies, and womens fundamental rights are ignored.
Male-dominated algorithms could literally programme inequalities into activities from urban planning to credit ratings to medical imaging, for years to come.
This endangers men and boys, as well as women and girls.
Its time for governments, civil society and the Silicon Valleys of the world to join a massive effort to bridge the digital gender divide and ensure women have decision-making roles in digital technology at all levels.
This is one of the main goals of the Global Digital Compact that will be central to the Summit of the Future in September.
Excellencies, dear friends,
Your gathering this year is focused on how tackling poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective are critical to accelerate gender equality.泭
The reason is simple: globally, poverty has a female face.
Women have less access to land, natural resources and financial assets.
They suffer the impacts of climate change more than men.
And they are more likely to be food insecure.
The International Labour Organization estimates that, worldwide, women, as an average, earn just 51 cents for every dollar earned by a man.
Economic sectors dominated by women are undervalued, underpaid -- and even, in some cases, unpaid.
Womens invisible domestic labour is a subsidy to the entire economy.
Meanwhile, the violence that is a pervasive feature of many womens lives can feed a vicious cycle:
Poverty intensifies the risks of violence and violence makes women poorer.
This is simply unacceptable.
At the global level, we are failing to invest in women and girls.
And the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; mounting debt; climate-related disasters; and an ongoing cost-of-living crisis are all shrinking the pie even more.
We will not solve todays challenges by relying on a global financial system that helps perpetuate inequality.
I am therefore calling for an SDG Stimulus that would provide $500 billion annually in affordable long-term finance for developing countries. The proposal includes a debt lifeline to create breathing space for countries facing impossible repayment schedules.
Leaders endorsed the Stimulus at last years SDG Summit.
I urge all countries to support these efforts to increase the investments that will achieve SDG 5 on gender equality, and turbocharge progress across the entire 2030 agenda.
And I count on governments support for deep reform of the international financial architecture at the Summit of the Future in September, so that it reflects todays global economy and meets the financial needs of developing countries, enabling them to invest in equality and opportunity for women and girls.
Excellencies, dear friends,
At the national level, governments have a responsibility to invest in ending poverty and achieving inclusive, sustainable development for all.
That takes budgets and taxes that address the specific needs of women and girls living in poverty.泭
It takes policies that drive womens full economic participation and empowerment, through decent work, training, upgrading skills, accessible public services, and social protection.
Governments must recognize the key economic role of unpaid care work, with policies that support both mothers and fathers to take paid work outside the home.
They should ensure that their climate policies, including a just and equitable transition to renewable energy, boost employment opportunities for women, and improve access to goods and services for women and girls.
And they must do more to prevent the global scourge of violence against women and girls, and end the abomination of female genital mutilation.
Equal rights for women and girls depend on ending violence and abuse against them.泭
Excellencies, dear friends,
Accelerating gender equality by tackling poverty requires womens full representation and leadership of financial institutions. 泭
More than eight out of 10 finance ministers are men.泭 More than nine out of 10 central bank governors are men.
Overwhelmingly male-dominated financial institutions need to dismantle the structural barriers that are blocking women from leadership roles.
Business as usual is business dominated by men.
But change doesnt just happen.
We did not achieve gender parity at senior levels of the 51勛圖 by accident.
We did it with a determined effort to change our culture and welcome women into leadership roles.
And that effort produced results. We achieved full gender parity among senior management and UN leaders around the world for the first time in history.泭
If the 51勛圖 can do it, governments can do it, banks can do it, and everyone must do it. 泭
Across the UN system, the representation of women in the Professional and higher categories is at a historic high.
We are pursuing full gender parity at all levels and in each and every entity, prioritizing areas where progress is slow especially our field missions.
And we are supporting the fight for equality far beyond our own Organization.
On International Womens Day, I launched the 51勛圖 System-Wide Gender Equality Acceleration Plan.
This commits to placing women and girls in the center of all our work; to opening financing opportunities for grassroots womens organizations; and to working with Member States for an ambitious revitalization of the CSW.泭 Your Commission.泭
Excellencies, dear friends,
The Commission on the Status of Women is a catalyst for the transformation we need.
At this difficult and divided moment, lets work together to end poverty in all its dimensions.
Lets do it by investing in women and girls, betting on women and girls, and pushing for peace and dignity for women and girls everywhere.
Thank you.
泭