Femcities Conferences
The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action is a visionary agenda for women’s rights. It is considered the most comprehensive global policy framework and progressive blueprint for action ever for advancing women’s rights. It was developed at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China, in 1995.
The Beijing Platform for Action aims to remove all obstacles to women’s active participation in all spheres of public and private life through ensuring women a full and equal share in economic, social, cultural and political decision-making. This means that the principle of shared power and responsibility should be established between women and men at home, in the workplace, and in the wider national and international communities. It affirms that equality between women and men is a matter of human rights and a condition for social justice. It is also a necessary and fundamental prerequisite for equality, development and peace.
The Beijing Platform for Action was adopted by 189 governments who committed to take bold action in 12 critical areas of concern for women globally, including violence against women. It calls on action from governments, the international community and civil society, including non-governmental organisations, and the private sector.
2020 marks the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action. To support global mobilisation on the 25th anniversary UN Women announced the convening of the Generation Equality Forum, co-hosted by the governments of Mexico and France – a civil-society centred, multi-stakeholder gathering to foster a global conversation for urgent action and accountability for gender equality.
