As the world marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, governments have adopted by consensus a powerful Political Declaration to respect, protect, and champion the rights, equality, and empowerment of women and girls.
Welcoming its adoption, Sima Bahous, Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of UN Women said, "Rising to the challenges and opportunities of gender equality requires collective, decisive action across Member States, now more than ever. At a time when hard-fought gains for gender equality are under attack the global community has come together in a show of unity for all women and girls, everywhere".
The Political Declaration reaffirms the commitments of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, originally adopted in 1995 at the Fourth World Conference on Women, stressing the need to uphold all human rights and fundamental freedoms for every woman and girl, without exception. It reinforces commitments to women, peace, and security, emphasizing the need to integrate women's voices and leadership into all stages of conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and conflict resolution. It underscores the importance of eradicating poverty in all its forms, including through ensuring women's and girls' right to education, particularly in STEM fields, and by increasing public investments in care systems. Recognizing the vast potential of technology, it highlights the necessity of closing the gender digital divide and calls for renewed investment in gender statistics and data to drive informed policymaking.
The Declaration recommits Member States to eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls, including emerging forms such as digital violence, online harassment, and cyberbullying. Further, it acknowledges that achieving progress in these areas requires substantial resources and financing. It calls for strengthened national systems, women's machineries, and international mechanisms, including a revitalized Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), to accelerate gender equality efforts globally.
UN Women Executive Director Bahous added, "No nation has yet fully achieved gender equality. This bold Declaration makes clear that the world's governments recognize 2025 as a pivotal moment, where promises made 30 years ago can no longer be deferred. It is a springboard to ensure that we live up to our commitments to gender equality and women's empowerment for all women and girls, everywhere, and that we do so together".
