UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for dismantling the discrimination and harmful gender stereotypes that contribute to the gender pay gap.  "Addressing the COVID-19 pandemic offers a generational opportunity to write a new social contract that upholds women’s human rights, including the right to equal pay," he said in a message on Saturday.  This is a matter of justice and a responsibility for all, said the UN Secretary General marking the International Equal Pay Day. READ: FM greets UN chief Guterres on re-appointment He said COVID-19 pulled back the curtain on a gross injustice: the lack of compensation for the work of raising children and caring for people who cannot look after themselves, which is largely done by women.  By pushing care work out of the formal economy and into the home, Guterres said, the pandemic has exacerbated the gender pay gap.  Many women are struggling to hold down paid jobs while raising children, dealing with online school, and caring for sick or vulnerable family members without material compensation, he said.  "Investing in the care economy helps bridge the pay gap by creating new, sustainable jobs while freeing women up to participate in the paid workforce," said the UN chief.  At the same time, he said, most frontline health workers battling the virus are women.  They often earn less than men, lack decision-making power, and suffer greater exposure to violence and harassment, said Guterres.  "I was vividly reminded of women’s dual roles when I spoke with a health worker in Ghana, Scholastica Dery.  “As frontline workers, we are the majority,” Guterres quoted Dery as saying. “Combining this with our household duties is not easy, but we are determined to do it.” READ: Next 10 years final chance to avert climate catastrophe: UN chief Despite equal pay laws, women earn an average of just 80 cents for every dollar men earn for work of equal value, said the UN chief.  "That figure is even less for women of colour and those with children," he said. 

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said the next 10 years, as science tells, are the final chance for all to avert a climate catastrophe, turn back the deadly tide of pollution and end species loss. “So, let today be the start of a new decade – one in which we finally make peace with nature and secure a better future for all,” he said in a message marking the World Environment Day that falls on June 5. The UN chief said they face a triple environmental emergency – biodiversity loss, climate disruption and escalating pollution. “We’re rapidly reaching the point of no return for the planet.” For too long, Guterres said, humanity has cut down the Earth's forests, polluted its rivers and oceans, and ploughed its grasslands into oblivion. “We’re ravaging the very ecosystems that underpin our societies.” READ: Israel Palestinian Conflict: UN chief welcomes cease-fire, urges negotiations And, in doing so, the UN chief said, they risk depriving themselves of the food, water and resources they need to survive. The degradation of the natural world is already undermining the well-being of 3.2 billion people – or 40 percent of humanity, he said. “Luckily, the Earth is resilient. But she needs our help. We still have time to reverse the damage we have done,” said the UN chief. That is why, on this World Environment Day, Guterres said, they are launching the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. This global movement will bring together governments, businesses, civil society and private citizens in an unprecedented effort to heal the Earth, he said. “By restoring ecosystems, we can drive a transformation that will contribute to the achievement of all the Sustainable Development Goals,” Guterres said. READ: Nearly half of global population still lack internet access: UN Chief He said the task is monumental and they need to replant and protect their forests. “We need to clean up our rivers and seas. And we need to green our cities. Accomplishing these things will not only safeguard the planet’s resources.” Guterres said it will create millions of new jobs by 2030, generate returns of over $7 trillion dollars every year and help eliminate poverty and hunger. He said the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration is a global call to action and will draw together political support, scientific research and financial muscle to massively scale up restoration. “Everyone can contribute.” READ: Let's work together to defeat COVID-19: UN chief

COVID-19 pandemic  is deepening existing inequalities and vulnerabilities, particularly for women and girls, said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in a  message marking the World Population Day on Saturday,   “The pandemic affects everyone, everywhere, “but it does not affect everyone equally,  said the UN Chief.   He also said that “With many countries on lockdown and health systems struggling to cope, sexual and reproductive health services are being sidelined and gender-based violence is on the rise”.