UN boss calls out male chauvinists as world marks Womens Day

UN boss calls out male chauvinists as world marks Womens Day

To achieve gender equality throughout the world, male chauvinism must be defeated.

This is according to the United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, who insists a largely patriarchal society is a major impediment to the achievement of gender parity.

Speaking on Wednesday, March 8, at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) where Kenyans joined the rest of the world to commemorate the International Women’s Day (IWD), the UN boss said the world is far from realizing the much desired gender parity because many societies across the world are male dominated.

“Everywhere we have a male dominated culture. We are still far from achieving gender equality all over the world,” said Guterres.

The Secretary General regretted that there was significant resistance to gender parity in many societies all over the world where initiatives towards its achievement face many obstacles.

He said many violations against women and girls were taking place  in families where serious abuses were increasingly remaining unreported.

“Many societies have the tendency to hide  family violence,” he said adding that it was much better to resolve conflicts with the involvement of women.

Guterres further observed that many formal institutions including the government, Parliament, corporate and schools are better off when they practice gender equality as opposed to discrimination.

The occasion was also graced by First Lady Margaret Kenyatta who delivered the  key note address from President Uhuru Kenyatta.

African Union Commissioner for Social Affairs, Mustapha Kaloko, lauded Kenya for becoming the 19th African country to launch the AU Campaign on Ending Child Marriage in Africa.

The campaign was adopted by the AU on May 29, 2014 and several countries  have already launched it.

The theme of this year’s commemorations in Kenya is “Celebrating the Bold Women of Kenya” a theme that has been domesticated from the global “Be bold for change”.

International Women’s Day, originally called International Working Women’s Day, is celebrated on March 8 every year. It commemorates the movement for women’s rights.

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international women's day African Union (AU) UN Secretary General United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres Male Chauvinism

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