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| - The coronavirus pandemic has "shattered the lives" of millions of women and girls and reversed progress towards gender equality, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday. "In many places, the very idea of gender equality has come under attack," Guterres told a virtual forum in Mexico, which is itself grappling with widespread violence against women. "Regressive laws are back, and horrific violence against women is increasing, which I condemn utterly," he said, according to an official translation of remarks delivered in Spanish. "And now, the seismic shocks of the Covid-19 pandemic have shattered the lives of millions of women and girls and destroyed many of our gains." Guterres called for measures including equal representation in business and politics, equal pay and "emergency response plans" to address violence against women and girls. The Generation Equality Forum, convened by UN Women, is being co-hosted by Mexico and France, where it will culminate in June. It aims to secure commitments to achieve "immediate and irreversible" progress towards gender equality involving both governments and corporations. sem-dr/ft
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