On Monday, the United Nations Security Council convened an open debate to mark the 25th anniversary of resolution 1325, a landmark commitment to women, peace and security. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres took the floor, urging the global community to set binding targets for women's participation in peace processes and launch a "gender data revolution."
Guterres reminded the Council that despite quarter-century progress, troubling trends persist: sexual violence remains on the rise, maternal mortality rates spike in conflict zones, and girls continue to be pulled from school. Meanwhile, women in public life face growing threats of violence and harassment, undermining their ability to lead change.
To turn promises into action, the Secretary-General proposed that at least one third of participants in UN-led peace talks be women – a target already embedded in UN policy but lacking in enforcement. More crucially, he called for a "gender data revolution" to close information gaps, ensuring women's experiences are visible, measurable and addressed in peacebuilding efforts.
For digitally savvy global citizens and changemakers, Guterres's message is clear: without concrete targets and robust data, women's contributions to peace risk being sidelined. And with the countdown to the next decade of action underway, the call for accountability has never been louder.
As delegates prepare to draft the next chapter of UN strategy, the world will be watching: will the ambitious vision of resolution 1325 finally translate into measurable change on the ground?
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
