UN investigator: Gender equality in free speech is far off

By EDITH M. LEDERER
Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — An independent U.N. investigator is warning that despite the Nobel Peace Prize to courageous Filipino journalist Maria Ressa, “gender equality in freedom of expression remains a distant goal.” Irene Khan said Monday that “women’s voices are being suppressed by laws, policies of the state as well as social customs, traditions, interpretation of religion and growing fundamentalism around the world that has actually spurred also the growth of misogyny and sexism.” Khan says governments must take the issue of gender stereotyping more seriously. She says that in a number of countries, the online social behavior of young women and “gender non-conforming people” are closely monitored, censored and criminalized by governments “under the guise of protecting `public morals.’”