UN chief says world failing to achieve gender equality

The United Nations Secretary General issued a dire warning to world leaders : equality between women and men in the world is an increasingly distant goal.

Antonio Guterres said that "women's rights are being abused, threatened and violated around the world" and that "the progress made for decades is disappearing before our eyes".

"Gender equality is growing more distant. On the current track, UN Women puts it 300 years away. Together, let us push back against the pushback on women's rights, against misogyny and forwards for women, girls and our world," Guterres said. 

Closing the major gender gap in innovation and technology is the focus of the 67th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, which opened at UN Headquarters in New York.

"Digital technologies have the potential to accelerate progress towards the SDGs (Sustainable Development Objectives) by enabling the creation of new opportunities for education, health, agriculture and entrepreneurship, among others," Pauline Tallen, Minister for Women Affairs of Nigeria.

Over two weeks, participants from across the world will examine how gender equality can be achieved in the digital era and promote greater inclusivity for women in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math