UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday urged transforming structures and cultures to end violence against women.
Guterres made the remarks here at a commemoration event for the UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, which falls on Nov. 25 every year.
"Violence against women and girls is a global pandemic," he said, adding that at its core, it "is the manifestation of a profound lack of respect -- a failure by men to recognize the inherent equality and dignity of women."
In the "male-dominated world," he said, women are made vulnerable to violence through multiple ways, including unfair family laws governing inheritance, custody and divorce discrimination, and practices narrowing their access to financial resources and credit.
In this reality, he said "it is imperative that we -- as societies -- undertake the challenging work of transforming the structures and cultures that allow sexual harassment and other forms of gender-based violence to happen in the first place."
In an effort to end sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers and UN staff in the field, he said, nearly 100 member states that support UN operations on the ground have now signed voluntary compacts with the UN to tackle the issue.
Further afield, he said, the UN is continuing to invest in initiatives for women and girls through the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women, which has reached more than 460 programs in 139 countries and territories over the past two decades.
"Not until the half of our population represented by women and girls can live free of fear, violence and everyday insecurity, can we truly say we live in a fair and equal world," the UN chief said.
Monday's commemoration kicks off the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, an annual global campaign that runs from Nov. 25 to Dec. 10 under the umbrella of the UN's UNiTE to End Violence against Women.
In his speech, Guterres noted the past year has seen growing attention to one manifestation of the violence against women -- sexual harassment, in reference to the success of the grassroots movement Me Too.
In response, this year's UNiTE campaign highlights support for survivors and advocates under the theme "Orange the World: #HearMeToo."
With orange as the unifying colour of solidarity, the #HearMeToo hashtag is designed to send a clear message: violence against women and girls must end now, Guterres said.
