UN secretary-general António Guterres, on Tuesday, applauded civil society groups for “shaking the foundations of privilege” in a male-dominated world.

Mr Guterres stated this at a town hall meeting on the margins of the 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women at UN Headquarters in New York.

The session, which began on March 10, is expected to end on March 19.

“You are foundation-shakers, and you are shaking out justice, dignity and equality for communities across the globe,” stated the UN chief.

Highlighting persistent power imbalances, including in politics, the economy and emerging technologies such as AI, he warned of a growing backlash against women’s rights fuelled by disinformation and culture wars.

“These are trying times,” Mr Guterres, who is serving his last year as the UN chief, said. “A bitter wind is blowing around the world. That wind is hardening attitudes and fuelling a backlash against women’s rights.”

Representatives from around the world then took the floor, with several participants questioning the proposed merger of UN Women and UN Population Fund.

The UN chief said the proposal to merge the two agencies aims to create a “more powerful” one, with both mandates continuing with shared resources.

A professor of Law from Nigeria, Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, raised concerns about shrinking public spaces, funding shortfalls and government crackdowns and offered a solution.

Ms Ezeilo said that, despite gains since Beijing, “states must contribute to advancing women’s rights”.

Defending hard-won rights for women and girls, opening new doors and building coalitions when societies are being pulled apart “is not easy”, according to Mr Guterres.

“It comes at a price. You may face threats, intimidation and harassment,” he noted. “When you push for change, you are pushing against the patriarchy, and the patriarchy is pushing back.”

(NAN)