Source: United Nations (video statements)
Remarks by Mr. António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General, on the Women and peace and security.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, “Women are leaders of peace for all. The world does not need more reminders of that truth – it needs more results that reflect it.”
Addressing the Security Council on Women, Peace and Security, Guterres said, “Too often, we gather in rooms like this one – full of conviction and commitment – only to fall short when it comes to real change in the lives of women and girls caught in conflict. We speak of inclusion, yet far too frequently women remain absent from negotiating tables. We speak of protection, yet sexual violence persists with impunity. We speak of leadership, yet women peacebuilders are underfunded, under threat, and under-recognized. And we all lose.”
He reported, “Last year, 676 million women lived within 50 kilometers of deadly conflict events – the highest number in decades. Sexual violence surged, with documented incidents against girls rising by 35 percent. In some places – alarmingly – girls accounted for nearly half of all victims.”
He also said, “In Afghanistan, the systematic erasure of women and girls from public life is in overdrive – with appalling restrictions in accessing education, employment, healthcare and justice – and surges in sexual violence and maternal mortality. In the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Sudan, Haiti, Myanmar and beyond, women and girls face grave risks and horrific levels of violence. And while women’s organizations remain lifelines for millions in crisis, they are being starved of resources.”