‘When will you resign, then?’ UN Secretary General sparks anger with ‘patriarchy’ tweet

Calls to ‘defund the United Nations’ are spreading online after the international body claimed the coronavirus pandemic is a demonstration of ‘patriarchy’.

The UN’s official Twitter account published part of a speech by Secretary General António Guterres, who was speaking on how the outbreak of Covid-19 has affected women. 

The post has now drawn more than 13,000 responses – a significant proportion of which voice confusion, disagreement and bewilderment. 

Mr Guterres was quoted as saying: ‘The #COVID19 pandemic is demonstrating what we all know: millennia of patriarchy have resulted in a male-dominated world with a male-dominated culture which damages everyone – women, men, girls & boys.’  

The UN’s official Twitter account published part of a speech by Secretary General António Guterres, who was speaking on how the outbreak of Covid-19 has affected women

Mr Guterres was quoted as saying: ‘The #COVID19 pandemic is demonstrating what we all know: millennia of patriarchy have resulted in a male-dominated world with a male-dominated culture which damages everyone – women, men, girls & boys’

Social media users voiced their disagreement with the post, with some calling on the male UN chief to resign. Others called for the international body to be defunded.

Politics lecturer and author Adrian Hilton wrote to Mr Guterres saying: ‘Since you are the ninth man to hold the position of UN Secretary-General since its creation, have you considered stepping aside in favour of a woman?’  

One Twitter user said: ‘I honestly thought this was a parody account.’ That tweet has gained more than 1,300 likes so far. 

Mr Guterres’ quote was from a speech given by Mr Guterres in late August, in which he said that Covid-19 was ‘deepening existing inequalities, including gender inequality’. 

Politics lecturer and author Adrian Hilton wrote to Mr Guterres saying: ‘Since you are the ninth man to hold the position of UN Secretary-General since its creation, have you considered stepping aside in favour of a woman?’

One Twitter user said: ‘I honestly thought this was a parody account.’ That tweet has gained more than 1,300 likes so far

He adds: ‘The past months have seen a growing recognition in the media and through academic research highlighting what we have known anecdotally for years: that women leaders are extremely effective. 

‘Women Heads of State, Ministers of Health, health workers and community leaders are winning widespread recognition for their empathy, compassion, communication and evidence-based decision-making.

‘Their actions are showing the value of inclusivity. It stands to reason: doubling the resources, capacity and expertise we put into decision-making benefits everyone.’  

Mr Guterres had earlier this year warned of a ‘horrifying global surge in domestic violence’ as fear of the virus, along with its social and economic consequences, grew. 

The UN chief, who appealed on March 23 for an immediate cease-fire in conflicts around the world to tackle the pandemic, said in a statement it is time to appeal for an end to all violence, ‘everywhere, now.’   

In March he warned that coronavirus is the greatest global crisis since the Second World War and confronting it will bring a recession ‘that has no parallel in the recent past’.