In his address at the opening of CSW65 on March 15, 2021, Secretary-General António Guterres said that the COVID-19 pandemic has shown how deeply embedded gender inequality is in the world’s political, social and economic systems. The UN chief noted that women work in jobs that have been hard hit by the pandemic, and that women’s and girls’ unpaid care work has increased due to stay-at-home orders, school and childcare closures, and more need for elder care.
The Secretary-General underlined the continuing problem of male domination in public life. “When women are missing from decision-making, we see the world through only one perspective... We need to move beyond fixing women, and instead fix our systems. Pandemic recovery is our chance to chart a path to an equal future.” Improving the gender balance would not only benefit women, but the economy at large. Evidence shows that women’s participation enhances economic results, and leads to increased investment in social protection and climate action. Mr. Guterres pointed to "the great power of women’s leadership" in responses to COVID-19, and spotlighted women’s organizations which are filling gaps in the provision of services and information.
Watch the S-G's statement here.
In her statement at the Opening Session of CSW65, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 47 million more women have been pushed into extreme poverty, 10 million more girls are anticipated to be at risk of child marriage in the next ten years , and women are suffering the highest rates of intimate partner violence ever seen. Violence against women in public life is a major deterrent to political participation, and “under-representation of women is a factor in the slow progress in all aspects of gender equality”.
Volkan Bozkir, current President of the General Assembly, called on UN Member States to strengthen legislation against gender-based violence; establish reporting and redress mechanisms for victims; and commit to violence monitoring. He said, “No woman should feel the need to justify her presence or fear expressing herself. No woman should be under threat, underpaid, or underestimated.”