Amid growing opposition to women’s rights, the United Nations’ 193 member states committed on Monday to advancing gender equality through accelerated action on multiple fronts.
A political declaration, adopted at the start of the U.N.’s annual gathering focused on promoting equality for women and girls, underscores the importance of engaging men and boys as “strategic partners and allies” in achieving this goal.
The declaration—approved by consensus and confirmed with a gavel strike by the chair of the Commission on the Status of Women—comes as the world marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing women’s conference, where nations first laid out a 150-page roadmap for gender equality.
While the declaration acknowledges progress in implementing the Beijing platform, it also states that no country has yet achieved gender equality. It describes global advancements as “slow and uneven,” citing significant gaps and challenges that remain.
A report published last week by UN Women, the U.N. agency dedicated to women’s empowerment, revealed that nearly one-quarter of governments worldwide reported a backlash against women’s rights in 2024.
The agency’s policy and program director, Sarah Hendriks, said in a news conference that the actual number is likely higher and reflects “an increasingly hostile environment.”
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addressed Monday’s gathering, warning that three decades after the Beijing conference, women’s rights are “under siege.” He cautioned that hard-won progress is being undone, highlighting setbacks in reproductive rights and other gender equality initiatives.
“The poison of patriarchy is back — and it is back with a vengeance: slamming the brakes on action, tearing-up progress, and mutating into new and dangerous forms,” Guterres stated.
“Age-old horrors like violence, discrimination and economic inequality are rife,” he continued. “The gender pay gap still stands at 20%. Globally, almost one in three women have been subject to violence. And horrific sexual violence in conflict is happening from Haiti to Sudan.”
He also raised concerns about emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, which he said are being used to fuel new forms of violence and abuse, “normalizing misogyny and online revenge.”
US Commitment on Women’s Day (Photo: AP)He cited one alarming statistic: “Up to 95% of all online deepfakes are non-consensual pornographic images. Ninety percent depict women.”
The 1995 Beijing conference, attended by 189 nations, set out ambitious goals in 12 areas, including reducing poverty among women, combating gender-based violence, securing women’s rights to healthcare, and ensuring female representation in high-level decision-making in business, government, and peacemaking efforts.
For the first time in a U.N. document, the Beijing platform also affirmed that women have the right to make decisions “on matters relating to their sexuality, including their sexual and reproductive health, free of discrimination, coercion and violence.”
Guterres called on governments and advocates worldwide to take action, urging them “to stand up and speak out” to fulfill the commitments made in Beijing.
The eight-page declaration adopted on Monday outlines several “concrete actions,” including:
- Expanding access to credit and entrepreneurship opportunities for women.
- Reducing the burden of unpaid care work by strengthening support systems for children, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
- Promoting equal sharing of domestic responsibilities between men and women.
- Bridging the gender digital divide to ensure women benefit from technology and innovation.
- Guaranteeing quality education for girls and lifelong learning opportunities for women.
- Implementing and funding national initiatives to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls.
At last year’s opening of the two-week Commission on the Status of Women meeting, five male speakers took the floor in succession, a sequence that unsettled some attendees and puzzled the many women gathered in the General Assembly chamber.
On Monday, CSW chair Saudi Arabia’s U.N. Ambassador Abdulaziz Alwasil opened the session in the same packed chamber but immediately followed his remarks with speeches from three young women.
Calling the Beijing conference “a watershed moment,” Alwasil stressed that 30 years later, its promises remain urgent and must be transformed into tangible action by all nations.
“Real progress demands inclusive governance, sustained investments and unwavering political will,” he said.
The declaration, adopted with extended applause and a few cheers, includes a noteworthy recommendation:
It encourages U.N. member states to nominate women for the next secretary-general position. The U.N. has never had a female leader, and with Guterres’ term ending, his successor will be selected next year for a five-year term beginning on Jan. 1, 2027.