Last January, Secretary-General António Guterres took the helm of the United Nations and pledged to, “reach gender parity sooner rather than later,” adding he would “respect gender parity from the start.”

One year later, Secretary-General Guterres has delivered on his promise and made UN history. For the first time ever, the senior leadership of the organization is 50% female.

The Secretary-General’s Senior Management Group, a high-level leadership body charged with advancing the work of the UN, much like a “cabinet,” is now comprised of 23 women and 21 men.

UN leaders in the Secretary-General’s office and at UN Women acknowledge that work remains to ensure the equal and active participation of women at all levels of the UN system. Still, Secretary Guterres’ commitment to the ideals and benefits of gender parity, and his swift action on appointments, is truly welcome and encouraging.

To put this development into perspective, gender parity in leadership positions across business, politics, and other sectors is a glass ceiling that has yet to be shattered. For example, women make up only 6.4% of CEOs on the 2017 Fortune 500 list, and that figure reflects an increase of 50% from the previous year.

Read more about gender parity in the UN by Michelle Milford Morse at United Nations Foundation