Op-ed: 30 years on, keeping the promises of Beijing alive

The Beijing Platform for Action was more than a conference outcome. It was a global consensus for change that called for governments to act decisively. It outlined 12 critical areas of concern: from education and health to violence and poverty; from governance and political voice to conflict and environmental destruction. Since 1995, feminists have used the Beijing Platform for Action to take gender equality from the margins to the center of policymaking. It is a universal agenda, for all countries, underpinned by an unwavering commitment to human rights.

Thirty years later, even as faith in multilateralism is waning, that call still resonates. More than 150 countries reported progress in implementing the Beijing Platform, proof of its continued relevance. Significant efforts have been made by governments in every region:

• 90% reported passing or strengthening laws to end violence against women and nearly 80% said they have action plans to implement those laws
• to reduce women’s poverty, 79% of countries reported efforts to strengthen social protection systems, up from 70% in 2019
• two-thirds of governments reported strengthening care services for older people, up from 46% in 2019, vital in the context of aging societies the world over

Despite these efforts, results have fallen short:

• extreme poverty is still the destiny of nearly one in ten of all women and girls worldwide
• one-third of women continue to face physical or sexual violence in their lifetimes, and the misuse of digital technology is worsening it
• women’s opportunities in paid employment have not improved for two decades, with the majority trapped in low paid, informal work with few rights
• while parliaments have become more gender-balanced, women are still largely excluded from peace talks and climate negotiations, even though their presence makes them more effective

Most alarmingly, we are witnessing a dangerous global backlash against women’s rights, weaponizing misogyny as a political tool and choking the civic space where feminist voices once flourished. One in four governments say that backlash against gender equality is a barrier to their progress on implementing the Beijing Platform for Action.

This is no accident. It is a calculated strategy by some actors – in both governments and civil society – to undermine gender equality and erode democratic institutions. Traditionalist policies are being rebranded as “family values.” Women’s autonomy over their choices, bodies, and voice in both public and private spaces is under attack.

An economic system on track to create five trillionaires in the next decade is a major part of the problem. While billions of people in low and middle-income countries lack access to health, education, social benefits, and protection from the escalating climate emergency, a handful of individuals live in unimaginable opulence.

Achieving the gender-related SDGs targets would cost USD 420 billion annually – a small price to pay for a more just and equitable world. Mobilizing these resources means canceling unsustainable debt for poor countries, strengthening tax systems so the wealthiest people and corporations pay their fair share, and increasing development aid. Public resources need to be spent on fighting poverty, not fighting wars.