What Will It Take to Elect a Madam Secretary General?

In 2025, the international community marks two defining milestones: the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly—a moment that coincides with the selection of the next UN Secretary-General. Despite decades of progress in advancing women’s rights, the highest ranks of global leadership in the international system remain overwhelmingly male-dominated.

The United Nations, founded eighty years ago, has yet to appoint a woman Secretary-General. After eight decades and nine male leaders, the call for a Madam Secretary-General is more timely—and necessary—than ever.

Systemic underrepresentation of women in multilateralism is not a matter of perception; it is a matter of fact. The 2025 edition of the GWL Voices report, “Women in Multilateralism”,  provides the most recent and comprehensive evidence of persistent gender disparities in leadership across the multilateral system. The findings reaffirm the urgency of structural reform and bold action to achieve parity in global governance.

This high-level event aims to elevate this issue on the international agenda by convening leaders from across sectors and regions to examine both the barriers and the opportunities to transformational leadership in multilateralism.

For more information, please visit www.gwlvoices.org

Host or Publisher GWL Voices en la Conferencia Regional sobre la Mujer