When it comes to discussions about achieving global gender equality, those with a seat at the table have great responsibility. This responsibility has been at the forefront of my mind as I reflect upon my experiences at the 79th United Nations General Assembly, which convened in New York last month.
This year’s event was an important one for the UN, with its usual week of high-level meetings kick-started by a ‘Summit of the Future’ at which delegates – including a host of staff and experts from Equality Now – discussed ongoing progress towards collectively meeting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
As part of the Summit of the Future, world leaders finally adopted the Global Digital Compact (GDC) – a huge milestone for those of us who have long been campaigning for fairer digital standards and universal digital rights. But it would be easy to assume that the UN’s endorsement of the GDC signifies in itself the achievement of greater protections of digital rights and freedoms for everyone. Yet unless the provisions and standards outlined in the GDC are upheld by those with both the power and the responsibility to do so, there is no guarantee that its endorsement will lead to a more equitable future, in which women’s voices are amplified and their safety protected throughout the digital realm.
As a founding member of the Alliance for Universal Digital Rights, or AUDRi, Equality Now has been at the forefront of efforts to ensure that the GDC prioritizes considerations around gender equality. That is why, ahead of the historic vote by the UN General Assembly on the GDC, I joined our Global Lead for Ending Sexual Exploitation, Tsitsi Matekaire, in meeting with representatives from campaign groups and civil society organizations from all around the world to discuss how we can collaboratively strengthen the measures outlined in the GDC and collectively hold various stakeholders to account for their implementation.
After all, the decision to endorse the GDC was not a unanimous one, with several UN member states either abstaining or voting against it. When it comes to gender representation at the highest levels of leadership and decision-making, there is a long way to go: official estimates suggest that gender equality in the highest positions of power will not be reached for another 130 years, while as UN Secretary-General António Guterres has pointed out, even during this year’s UN General Debate, less than 10% of speakers were women.
With gender inequality continuing to pervade every level of government, including the UN itself, we must strive to wield our influence to ensure that the focus on gender in the GDC is not lost, and that the implementation of this landmark framework is achieved in line with existing conventions and mechanisms that protect and uphold the rights of women and girls.
It was with this same consciousness of our responsibility as a voice for women everywhere that I attended an event that was held in parallel with this year’s UN General Assembly: the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI). By bringing together business, government, and civil society leaders, the CGI aims to drive progress on issues such as climate resilience, inclusive economic growth and recovery, health equity, and humanitarian responses to global crises.
With so many intersections between these issues and women’s rights, it is clear that the full and fair participation of women and girls everywhere is key to building a sustainable world. For this reason, I was grateful for the opportunity to make a commitment at this year’s CGI on behalf of Equality Now to tackle the fast-emerging threat of tech-enabled gender-based violence, a challenge that is becoming more and more urgent with the proliferation of AI.
Not only will our global team of human rights lawyers, gender experts, and activists work to understand and disrupt the pathways between toxic masculinity, misogyny, and violent extremism and the harmful online activity that has been manifest in the real world, but we will also seek to use AI for good to create a gender equal world rooted in policy and practice.
Because while technologies such as AI may still be in their relative infancy, it is crucial that we commit fully and promptly to addressing the threats by which they are accompanied. That is why, as we develop the next stage of our work in protecting the rights of women and girls, we will work with partners such as The Christchurch Call, Mastercard, Women Leading in AI and others to bring the best knowledge-based solutions forward.
After all, it is only by recognizing the fundamental nature of gender equality in creating a better future, and subsequently addressing the factors – both existing and emerging – that prevent women and girls everywhere from enjoying their rights and realizing their potential, that we will be able to create an equitable world for everyone, regardless of their gender.
The UN itself has acknowledged that women’s equal participation and leadership in political and public life are essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. With just six years to go until the final deadline for implementation, the need for coordinated action towards achieving global gender equality has never been more urgent. The time for equality is NOW.