UN Chief Tells Women Activists: Keep Shaking the Foundations

The UN's top leader stood before hundreds of women's rights defenders this week and delivered a powerful message: your work is shaking the foundations of privilege, and the world needs you to keep going.

Secretary-General António Guterres spoke Tuesday at a townhall meeting during the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women at UN Headquarters in New York. The annual gathering, running until March 19, brings together activists from around the globe to advance gender equality.

Guterres didn't sugarcoat the challenges ahead. He acknowledged that a "bitter wind" of backlash against women's rights is growing worldwide, fueled by disinformation and fear. Power imbalances persist in politics, economics, and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.

But his tone was one of solidarity, not defeat. "You are foundation-shakers," he told the crowd, "and you are shaking out justice, dignity and equality for communities across the globe."

The townhall became a space for honest conversation. Representatives raised tough questions about shrinking public spaces for activism, funding shortfalls, and government crackdowns. Several challenged a proposed merger of UN Women and UNFPA, the UN's reproductive health agency, asking why these crucial organizations would be first targets for streamlining.

Guterres responded that the merger aims to create a stronger entity with shared resources. Nigerian law professor Joy Ngozi Ezeilo reminded everyone that despite gains since the landmark 1995 Beijing conference, governments must do more to advance women's rights.

Why This Inspires

In his final year as Secretary-General after a decade of service, Guterres made clear that changing power relations for gender equality remains central to his legacy. He recognized the personal cost many activists face: threats, intimidation, and harassment simply for demanding equality.

His response wasn't just sympathy. It was a pledge. "You can count on me to be with you, now and always," he said, promising to help civil society groups shape ongoing UN reforms through a July meeting.

The message resonated because it acknowledged both the difficulty of the fight and the absolute necessity of continuing it. When societies are being pulled apart, building coalitions and defending hard-won rights isn't easy. But it's essential.

Guterres left the activists with a rallying cry: "No to the pushback, no to the rollback, no to going back, no surrender. We will never, ever give up."