'Need to end discriminatory laws, accelerate pace to achieve gender equality, parity'

The pace to achieve gender equality and parity must be accelerated, newly appointed Indian-origin UN-Women's deputy executive director has stressed, underlining the need to end discriminatory laws that hamper progress for women around the world.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres last month appointed Anita Bhatia as Assistant Secretary-General for Resource Management, Sustainability and Partnerships and Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women).

"For me, the driving force is looking at the state of the world today and seeing what it is that we can do as UN Women, working in partnership with others, to really accelerate the pace of change and to make sure that hopefully in our lifetimes we will be able to say that many countries, if not all, have been able to achieve gender equality and parity," Bhatia told PTI in an interview here.

Bhatia, who assumed her duties on August 1, is the senior-most Indian woman in the UN system in New York, home to the world body's headquarters.

Bhatia had a distinguished career at The World Bank Group, serving in various senior leadership and management positions. She brings extensive experience in the area of strategic partnerships, resource mobilisation and management.

Bhatia, who holds a BA in History from Calcutta University, an MA in Political Science from Yale University and a Juris Doctor in Law from Georgetown University, emphasised that among the very specific actions that need to be taken with urgency is "ending discriminatory laws" and UN Women supports any legislation that moves women's rights forward.

"If you look at how many countries actually still have laws on the books that prohibit women from either having access to collateral, being able to inherit property, to marry when they want, having the freedom to pursue somebody in court if they are victims of rape or domestic violence, is staggering. We need to end that," she said.

She added that it is astonishing how people have become so "inured to rape".

One hears about rape all the time "and yet, why isn't there greater outrage at how much rape exists in the world. Why is it that so many perpetrators of rape get away with it. It is absolutely unacceptable."
"We want to see more cabinets that are 50 per cent women, more participation of women in leadership positions, in business, corporate boards, more representation of women in Parliaments. We want to see more representation of women in decision-making roles and authority where important decisions and outcomes can be influenced by the voice of women."
She also called for broadening alliances that care about gender equality. It is not just a women's issue. Gender equality is an issue for men and boys as well."
"It is not happening fast enough. (At 202 years), we are not talking about my grandkids and my great grandkids. We are talking about many generations before you see this change."
"What is the barrier to paying women more. There is no physical barrier that you have to overcome, it's not a question of women's strength. Why would you not pay women the same. I find this baffling."