Next UN secretary-general should be woman, asserts General Assembly chief Abdulla Shahid

President of the United Nations General Assembly, Abdulla Shahid stated on Monday that the next UN Secretary-General should be a woman. During the 66th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, Shahid noted that only four women have been chosen as president of the General Assembly in its 76 sessions but no woman has ever been elected as the secretary-general. Shahid stressed that this needs to be corrected.

He further stated that the UN cannot demand that the 'gold standards' be implemented across the world in terms of gender equality and women's empowerment if it is failing to do so "at home". "I personally would lead from the front calling for the next secretary-general to be a woman. Join me in this clarion call," Shahid said according to a statement issued by the UNGA.

In the 66th session, with the main theme of "empowering women and girls in the context of climate change and disaster risk reduction" and the review theme of "women's economic empowerment in the changing world of work," the UNGA head acknowledged the Commission's founding role in promoting women's rights, forming international standards on gender equality, as well as raising global awareness of women's issues. 

No woman has ever been selected as UN Secretary-General: Shahid

Furthermore, Shahid vowed to challenge the unfair societal norms and gender stereotypes that support inequity in women's work. He went on to say that young female climate activists have aided in the development of a worldwide environmental movement. Through adopting sustainable habits, women in poor nations are improving their communities, he added.

Taking to Twitter, Shahid said that women are a mostly underutilised resource despite having the knowledge and awareness of what is required to adapt to the changing state of the environment. He also highlighted the fact that the exploitation of women in the labour sector is exacerbated by unpaid caregiving obligations. 

Meanwhile, on Monday, UN Chief António Guterres spoke at the Commission on the Status of Women's inaugural session by saying, “Women and girls must be front and center, leading the way," as per UN report. He highlighted the climatic and environmental concerns, as well as the persisting economic and social consequences of the COVID-19 epidemic, and warned that their collective reaction will set their future for decades to come. 

(Image: Twitter/ @abdulla_shahid)