By Fatimah Idera
Amid International Women’s Day celebrations, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a stark warning that women’s rights remain under attack and urged women to fight back as the world cannot stand by while progress is reversed.
Speaking at a United Nations event on the eve of International Women’s Day, Guterres highlighted that centuries of discrimination against women are now being worsened by new and emerging threats.
“Digital tools, while brimming with promise, are also often silencing women’s voices, amplifying bias, and fuelling harassment,” he said. “Women’s bodies have become political battlegrounds.”
Guterres also warned that online violence is increasingly translating into real-life violence, further exacerbating gender inequalities. Instead of mainstreaming equal rights, he noted that chauvinism and misogyny are becoming alarmingly widespread.
He urged global action to push back against these trends, emphasizing that gender equality is not just about fairness, but also about power and representation.
“It is about power – who gets a seat at the table, and who is locked out,” Guterres stated.
He further stressed the need to dismantle systems that perpetuate inequality, stating:
“It is about ensuring a better world for all.
