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ECOSOC president says global momentum on gender equality remains strong despite setbacks
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Summary
Ambassador Ray told an Associated Press questioner that he disagrees with a projection that gender equality will take centuries, saying progress is "unstoppable" and that member states discussed measurable legal and policy steps at HLPF sessions.
Ambassador Ray, president of the United Nations Economic and Social Council, responded to an Associated Press question at a UN press briefing by rejecting a projection that achieving gender equality would take centuries and by describing ongoing progress.
Asked about a secretary-general comment that closing the gender-equality gap could take 300 years, Ray said, "I'm gonna get into trouble by disagreeing with the secretary general. I don't think a statistic that says, you know, we're not gonna get there for 300 years. I don't think that helps because I don't actually think it's accurate." He added that extrapolating from a single trend risks understating current gains.
Ray told reporters there is "remarkable progress on women's equality around the world" and that HLPF discussions included active debates about how to measure and reinforce gender-equality gains. "There is a very active debate. There is a pushback ... from a number of nation states on the issue of gender equality," he said, but added his view that "the drive for women's equality is unstoppable."
He linked gender equality to other SDG goals, saying progress on women's participation in education, labor markets and legal rights is "profoundly catalytic" for economic growth and broader prosperity.
The comments were made in response to a question from Edith Lettera of the Associated Press during the ECOSOC briefing.
