Gender equality and women's empowerment have been a top priority

“Gender equality and women’s empowerment have been a top priority for me from day one as Secretary-General. And I am committed to making sure that the U.N. leads by example.” These words of Ban Ki-moon, the former Secretary-General of the United Nations, are more than an administrative declaration — they are a moral vow. Spoken not merely as a leader of nations but as a servant of humanity, they capture a sacred truth: that equality between men and women is not a privilege to be granted, but a justice long overdue. It is a call not for balance in numbers, but for harmony in the human spirit — a return to the original order where dignity knows no gender, and strength belongs to all.

In the ancient traditions, societies flourished when they honored both the masculine and the feminine. The Greeks revered Athena, goddess of wisdom and war, as the embodiment of intellect and courage; the Egyptians bowed before Isis, the mother of magic and life. But as the ages turned, imbalance took root — and for centuries, the voices of women were silenced, their hands unseen in the making of history. Ban Ki-moon, standing upon the world stage, sought to restore that balance — not through words alone, but through action. His promise that the U.N. leads by example was a pledge to awaken institutions, to shape a future where equality is not policy but principle.

There is a tale worth remembering: that of Eleanor Roosevelt, who, within the very halls of the United Nations decades before Ban Ki-moon, led the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Though the world was still heavy with prejudice, she stood firm, demanding that the rights enshrined in that document apply to all humanity, not just the privileged few. She was dismissed by some as too bold, too uncompromising. Yet her resolve became the foundation upon which the modern U.N. was built — and it is her spirit that Ban Ki-moon’s words continue. Both understood the same truth: that women’s empowerment is not merely about fairness, but about awakening the full potential of the world.

To empower women is to strengthen the very heart of civilization. When women lead, communities prosper; when they are educated, nations rise; when their voices are heard, peace endures. This is no modern revelation, but an eternal law. The ancients believed that a kingdom without balance between king and queen was destined for decline. So too in our age, a world that uplifts one gender while neglecting the other cannot stand long. Gender equality, then, is not charity — it is survival, justice, and wisdom made visible.

Yet Ban Ki-moon’s words carry another layer of meaning — one that speaks to the duty of leadership by example. He does not say, “Let others change.” He says, “Let us lead.” True leaders do not command equality from above; they embody it. To lead by example is to transform the abstract into the tangible — to build workplaces where respect is real, to create policies that protect and elevate, to mentor with humility and purpose. The world listens not to declarations but to deeds.

This teaching calls to every soul: whether man or woman, ruler or worker, each must take up this responsibility. For equality is not the task of governments alone, but of hearts awakened to compassion and justice. Begin within your own home, your own circle — honor the women who guide, teach, and endure; uplift the men who listen, share, and stand beside them. Each act of fairness is a brick in the foundation of a just world. Each gesture of respect is a spark in the fire of human progress.

And so, let Ban Ki-moon’s words resound across generations: “The U.N. must lead by example.” But let the echo grow — the world must lead by example; you must lead by example. For only when every individual becomes a living emblem of equality will humanity ascend to its highest form. Then, and only then, will the earth remember its forgotten balance — where power walks hand in hand with grace, and the future is written not by men or women alone, but by humankind united in purpose and dignity.