Wanted: A Feminist UN Secretary-General for ‘We the Peoples’, Not the Powerful

Opinion by Mandeep S.Tiwana (new york)Tuesday, October 27, 2026Inter Press Service NEW YORK, October 27 (IPS) - Notwithstanding last minute shenanigans and the possibility of backroom deals by powerful states, two women from Latin America are leading contenders in the race for the UN’s next Secretary-General. After 80-plus years of men-only leadership, momentum is building to break the glass ceiling at the global institution dedicated to saving future generations from the scourge of war. Mandeep S. Tiwana, Secretary General of Civil Society Alliance, CIVICUSDesign flaws in the somewhat opaque appointment process that bestow arbitrary veto powers on the five permanent UN Security Council members could, however, torpedo the aspiration for equitable representation for women at the helm for the world body. But there is still time to build public pressure on governments to do the right thing by appointing a feminist woman leader from Latin America and the Caribbean in deference to the principle of regional rotation.UN in crisisThe next Secretary-General will preside over a fractious UN facing one of its hardest tests. Russia and the USA, which as Security Council permanent members are s...