The Secretary-General's Message on International Women’s Day 2025: A Call for Equality and Action

TDT | Manama
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On this International Women’s Day, United Nations Secretary-General has delivered a powerful message emphasizing the importance of gender equality as a foundation for prosperity, peace, and sustainable development. Reflecting on the progress made since the landmark 1995 Beijing Conference, the Secretary-General highlighted the strides women and girls have made in breaking barriers, defying stereotypes, and securing their rightful place in society.

However, the Secretary-General also addressed the growing challenges women continue to face, cautioning against the regression of hard-won rights. Despite decades of advancement, gender inequality remains deeply entrenched, with violence, discrimination, and economic disparities still prevalent worldwide. Furthermore, new-age threats such as biased algorithms and online harassment are exacerbating inequalities, creating new spaces for misogyny to thrive.

“We must be clear-eyed about the challenge,” the Secretary-General stated. “Instead of mainstreaming equal rights, we’re seeing the mainstreaming of misogyny. We must fight these outrages and keep working to level the playing field for women and girls.”

A decisive call for action was made in several key areas to advance gender equality:

• Unlocking financial resources to help nations invest in gender equality and ensure these investments are prioritized.

• Creating equal opportunities for women in the workforce, closing the gender pay gap, and addressing issues surrounding care work.

• Strengthening legal frameworks to combat all forms of violence against women and girls.

• Securing full female participation in decision-making, particularly in peacebuilding efforts.

• Removing barriers that hinder women and girls from pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

The United Nations’ Pact for the Future and Global Digital Compact were highlighted as guiding frameworks to drive these necessary changes.

“When women and girls can rise, we all thrive,” the Secretary-General affirmed. “Together, let’s stand firm in making rights, equality, and empowerment a reality for all women and girls, for everyone, everywhere.”

As the world marks three decades since the Beijing Conference, the call for gender justice remains as crucial as ever. The global community must come together to ensure that progress is not only preserved but accelerated for future generations.