U.N.’s Gathering on Promoting Women Equality Created Buzz for Having Five Male Speakers Open the Floor

By Moon Harper

Mar 12, 2024 05:33 AM EDT

The UN's leading organization advocating for women's rights began its yearly gathering on Monday, featuring five consecutive male speakers, which made some men uneasy and puzzled many of the hundreds of women in the crowded General Assembly chamber.

Five Male Speakers Opening the Floor

Achim Steiner, the head of the UN Development Program and the final male speaker, acknowledged his gender when he approached the podium, saying he was very aware that another man was standing at the podium addressing the previous male speakers. Steiner highlighted his dilemma: either remain silent or favor gender equality.

Croatia's UN Ambassador Ivan Šimonović, speaking as the third male representative of the UN Economic and Social Council, apologized for the absence of the council's female president due to a family emergency and acknowledged the imbalance in the agenda's opening.

A Call for Investment that Addresses Poverty

Chetna Gala Sinha, the first woman to address the assembly, took the stage sixth, representing civil society. Thirty years ago, Sinha relocated to a drought-affected village in Maharashtra, India, from Mumbai and empowered local women to establish a bank. She emphasized the transition from microcredit to micro-enterprise for women, highlighting the importance of investing in women. This resonates with the focus of this year's UN Commission on the Status of Women, which also addresses poverty.

A Call Promoting Women's Rights and Gender Equality

Following a speech by a young woman from Malawi representing youth, Philippines UN Ambassador Antonio Lagdameo invited the head of the UN agency promoting women's rights and gender equality to join him on the podium. Sima Bahous, the head of UN Women, expressed enthusiasm, noting the growing presence of women on stage, which was met with loud applause from the audience.

A Call for Solidarity and Peace Efforts in Conflict Zones

Almost every speaker, regardless of gender, talked about the difficulties faced by women and girls in conflict, particularly the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza.

Lagdameo, chairing the commission, urged attendees to support women and girls in conflict zones and expressed solidarity with peace efforts.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, being the second speaker, stressed the disproportionate impact of conflicts on women and girls in Gaza. Guterres highlighted the difficulties faced by families during Ramadan in Gaza and renewed his call for a humanitarian cease-fire, as well as an end to violence in all conflict regions, including Sudan.

The Resurgence of Patriarchy

Last week, Guterres highlighted the daunting prospect of achieving legal gender equality, estimating it could take 300 years. On Monday, he pointed out two troubling developments: the resurgence of patriarchy amid attacks on women's freedoms and reproductive rights by autocrats and populists and the neglect of women's needs and rights in the realm of digital technologies and artificial intelligence, which men predominantly dominate.

Making Gender Equality a Core Value

Bahous expressed concern to the commission about the escalating backlash against gender equality, describing it as "Peace feels painfully distant, war painfully prevalent, suffering painfully ubiquitous."

She proposed that if financial commitments matched verbal pledges to gender equality, more than 100 million women and girls could be lifted out of poverty. Additionally, closing gender gaps in employment could potentially increase gross domestic product per capita by 20%.

Steiner from the UN Development Program addressed the commission, acknowledging the systemic failures perpetuating gender inequality and poverty. He emphasized the importance of making gender equality a core value in public financing to address the plight of over 300 million women and girls living in extreme poverty.