Celebrating 30 Years of Progress on Women's Rights: Challenges, Achievements, and the Road Ahead for Gender Equality

The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted by 189 governments in 1995, was a visionary plan to achieve equal rights for all women and girls. Thirty years on, the world has made significant progress in areas like education, with more girls attending school than ever before, and anti-discrimination laws, with many countries adopting gender-responsive policies. However, despite these advances, gender discrimination and inequality persist, imposing chronic constraints on the rights and hopes of women and girls.

A new report, "Girl Goals: What has changed for girls? Adolescent girls' rights over 30 years," launched by UNICEF, Plan International, and UN Women, highlights the uneven progress made for adolescent girls. While there have been significant achievements in areas like education, millions of adolescent girls remain out of school, ill-equipped for the future, and at risk of harmful practices like child marriage, female genital mutilation, violence, and abuse. The report emphasizes the urgent need for global action to unlock the enormous potential of adolescent girls and puts forward recommendations for investments in critical areas like education, skills, protection, and essential health and nutrition services.

As the world celebrates 30 years of progress on women's rights, it is clear that there is still much work to be done to achieve true gender equality. The UN Secretary-General's report on the 30-year review and appraisal of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action highlights the continued relevance and critical importance of the platform, including in reaching the Sustainable Development Goals. UN Women, in collaboration with partners, has designed the "Beijing+30 action agenda," which brings people together to realize the promises of the platform and the global goals, reinforcing the idea that everyone has a role to play in achieving a more sustainable, equitable, and peaceful world. As UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell notes, "Adolescent girls are a powerful force for global change. With the right support at the right time, they can help deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals and reshape our world."