AP Interview: UN Women chief: Sex abuse cases tip of iceberg
The head of the U.N. agency promoting equality for women says the global spotlight on sexual harassment and abuse and the punishment of some powerful men who had been “untouchable” is an important moment — but it’s just “a tip of an iceberg.”
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said Wednesday that is because the number of women who have “come out” is small and the number of perpetrators who have been “brought to book” is limited compared to the number who haven’t been exposed.
But in an interview with The Associated Press on the eve of International Women’s Day, she said that in the immediate future at the very least there is a possibility of reducing and halting the continuation of abuse because perpetrators now know “there is actually a possibility that your victim might tell.”
“This is a tipping point and a critical time for everyone,” said Mlambo-Ngcuka, the executive director of UN Women. “And what we need to be guarding is that the pendulum must not swing backwards.”