The UN spokesperson for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned the death of a Ugandan marathon runner who died on Thursday in Kenya after her former boyfriend allegedly set her on fire.
Stephane Dujarric made the remarks at a regular news conference on Thursday. He spoke about the incident that killed Rebecca Cheptegei, who competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Dujarric said, “Every day in this room, we spend a lot of time talking about the big-picture issues relating to peace and security around the world, but today I want to take a moment to mention the tragic death of one individual which illustrates a much bigger problem that is all too often ignored.”
He continued, “Every 11 minutes on average, a woman or girl is killed by an intimate partner or family member somewhere in the word,” citing figures from UN surveys.
He also said, “Gender-based violence is one of the most prevalent human rights violations in the world.”
Dujarric added: “We still live in a male-dominated culture that leaves women vulnerable by denying them equality in dignity and rights. Our societies are less peaceful, our economies less prosperous and our world less just. But a different world is possible.”