No, the UN Didn’t Blame COVID-19 on the Patriarchy
The Claim
The United Nations blamed the coronavirus pandemic on the patriarchy.
Emerging story
On September 6, 2020, the UN’s Twitter account posted a tweet stating that coronavirus has revealed that millennia of male-dominated culture Is destructive.
Users on social media soon began claiming that the UN blamed the pandemic on the patriarchy.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar’s investigation found that the UN tweet is an excerpt from a speech given by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. By nature of being a quote, the tweet doesn’t put the snippet into full context. It says that the pandemic “demonstrates” the effects of patriarchy on society.
The Secretary-General never said that the pandemic was caused by patriarchy.
If one were to click the link embedded in the tweet, they would find his speech in its entirety. It’s clear that he’s saying that women are affected by COVID-19 differently than men. This is, he argues, in large part due to the patriarchy. A majority of healthcare workers are women, but they are often paid less than their male peers. Due to quarantine, many women in abusive relationships have been forced in confinement with their abusers and are subject to gender-based violence. There are numerous other points made in Guterres’ speech that support his statement, but he never once blames the pandemic on males.
