China News Agency, United Nations, March 8th. The United Nations held a commemorative event on the "March 8" International Women's Day. Many senior United Nations officials, including UN Secretary-General Guterres, called on all parties to act quickly and step up efforts Promote women's equal participation in various affairs.
The theme set by the United Nations for this year's Women's Day is "Women Leaders: Achieving an Equal Future in the World of COVID-19", and an online commemorative event will be held on the 8th.
At the commemorative event, Guterres said that women played a key role in responding to the epidemic, and about 70% of front-line medical staff were women; women’s organizations filled an important gap in providing information and related services for responding to the epidemic; In low-trust and conflict-affected communities, the role of female peacebuilders is crucial.
He also pointed out that the current proportion of women participating in politics and holding leadership positions is still very low. “Too often, services are provided by women, but the decisions are made by men.”
Guterres said that at present the United Nations has achieved gender parity in leadership positions, and he is proud of this.
He called on all countries to change social norms, support women's entry into the leadership through laws, policies and other means, effectively solve all kinds of violence against women in the Internet and real space, and increase financial support for women representatives, women's organizations and women's movements.
Fimzile Mlambo-Nuka, Executive Director of UN Women, said that in the post-epidemic recovery process, if women cannot participate in various decision-making, then a full and inclusive recovery will not be achieved.
Measures must be taken to increase the voice of women in political and social affairs.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said at the Human Rights Council commemoration that the reason for women's frustration in life and work is not their lack of interest or ability, but the discrimination against women.
In many places, discrimination leads to laws prohibiting women from controlling themselves, owning land, or obtaining credit, causing women to assume excessive care responsibilities, forming social norms that hinder women’s equal access to education, violence, harassment, and harmful practices.
These issues are interrelated and form a "circle of exclusion" that must be broken.
Zhang Jun, the Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations, also delivered a special speech on International Women’s Day. He introduced the general situation of Chinese women’s response to the epidemic, poverty alleviation, UN peacekeeping operations, and participation in national political life, saying that “women can hold up half the sky” in China. fully reflect.
He also called for speeding up the realization of gender equality and promoting the development of global women's cause.
The World Health Organization, UNESCO and other institutions also held photo exhibitions, press conferences, concerts and other forms of commemorative activities on the same day. (Finish)