António Guterres is the ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations, who took office on 1 January 2017.
The COVID-19 pandemic brings untold human suffering and economic devastation around the world.
I recently called for a swift global ceasefire in our usual fight to defeat the pandemic.
I called for an end to violence everywhere, now.
But the violence is limited to the battlefield.
For many women and girls, the risk is greatest where they are safest.
At home.
That is why I am once again calling for peace in homes – and homes – around the world.
We know that lockdowns and quarantines are critical to the fight against COVID-19, but they can get caught up in abusive partners.
In recent weeks, as economic and social pressures and concerns have increased, we have noticed a horrific global increase in domestic violence.
In some countries, the number of women seeking services has doubled.
Meanwhile, fitness centers and police are battered and understaffed.
Local relief teams are paralyzed or underfunded. Some shelters for victims of domestic violence are closed; others are full.
I urge all governments to make violence prevention and redress a key component of their national COVID-19 response plans.
This means scaling up investment in online and civil society organizations.
Ensure that abusers continue to be prosecuted by the justice system.
Implementation of emergency alerts in pharmacies and grocery stores.
Declare shelters as services.
And create tactics to get women to seek help, without alerting their abusers.
Women’s rights and freedoms are for strong and resilient societies.
Together, we can and will prevent violence everywhere, from war zones to homes, as we work to defeat COVID-19.
“You see, we’re not making these pictures to make ourselves feel better. That kind of traditional perception of what a benefactor is. We are making these paintings because we are completely convinced that it is not necessary, in today’s world, for so many other people. to enjoy the discomfort, for so many other people to enjoy the hardships, for so many other people to see their lives and livelihoods at risk. “
Dr. David Nabarro has committed his life to global health. After a long career that has taken him from the horrors of the Iraq war to the devastating aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami, he still feels compelled to act on the enormous inequalities in the world. health care.
“What helps me stay awake at night are the inequalities endemic in our world. . . We see a lot of unnecessary suffering. “
The Manguinhos Ballet, named after its favela in Rio de Janeiro, is back on level after a long absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It has 250 young people and adolescents from the favela as interpreters. The ballet organization provides social assistance in a network where poverty, hunger and teenage pregnancy are constant problems.
The pandemic has put many other people to the test, and journalists are no exception. Not only has the coronavirus waged a war against the lives and well-being of other people, but it has also spawned countless clinical deceptions and lies.