UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the Taliban’s systematic oppression of Afghan women, calling it the most extreme example of a growing global assault on gender equality.
“Women and girls are still confronting a horrific set of wrongs against their rights. We see it more than anywhere else in Afghanistan,” Guterres said during a town hall meeting with civil society at the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women in New York.
He warned that sexual violence in conflict zones, from Haiti to Sudan, combined with rising discrimination and violence against women worldwide, threatens to reverse decades of progress on gender equality.
A ‘red alert’ on women’s rights
Guterres issued a “red alert” over what he described as a “furious kickback against equality,” urging world leaders not to trade women’s rights for political convenience.
“Do not sacrifice equality for false expediency,” he warned. “It is a miscalculation, a misunderstanding of how societies thrive. It is short-sighted. It is wrong. And it must end.”
The U.N. chief urged governments to prioritize funding for women and girls, strengthen protections for women’s rights defenders, and combat digital misogyny, warning that artificial intelligence and other technologies are increasingly reinforcing gender biases.
Guterres praised civil society organizations for their role in advancing gender equality but acknowledged that activists are facing mounting threats, violence, and even murder.
He reaffirmed the United Nations’ commitment to gender equality through its Gender Equality Acceleration Plan, which aims to increase support for women’s organizations and ensure women’s full participation in decision-making, business, and peacebuilding.
“Let’s never forget that inequality is a question of power. Power is never given; it must be taken. Together, we must seize it,” he said.
Guterres emphasized that the world is at a critical juncture for gender equality and called on leaders to uphold their commitments, warning that failing to do so would undermine global progress.
