In 1995, the whole world was excited about the Beijing Platform for Action, a revolutionary plan for gender equality that paved the way for large-scale change. From laws protecting women from domestic violence to programs empowering women and girls, the Beijing Platform for Action continues to shape our world and prepare a just and equitable future for ALL women and girls.
Thirty years of action have reshaped women’s rights worldwide, showing that progress is possible. Since 1995, the proportion of women in parliaments has more than doubled, child marriage has declined, and more women now have access to maternity leave, family allowances, unemployment benefits, and pension systems—essential measures that reduce poverty and strengthen economic security.
Education has seen the most significant progress for women and girls since 1995: the number of girls enrolled in school is now higher than ever. Legal protection for women has also advanced: before the Beijing Platform for Action, only 19 countries had laws protecting women from violence; today, this number has risen to 152. However, due to fragile political systems, chronic lack of funding, and recurring shocks and crises, progress remains too slow, and failures are frequent.
The latest report from the UN Secretary-General shows that if nothing changes, a girl born today will be 39 years old when women hold as many seats as men in parliament, and 68 years old when child marriage disappears. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Women’s participation in the labor force has barely changed and stagnated for the past 20 years. In 2022, 63 percent of women and 92 percent of men were part of the labor force, compared to 64 percent and 94 percent, respectively, in 2022.
Reasons to hope: Key advancements in women’s rights
The UN Secretary-General’s report reviews the progress made in 159 countries over the past five years, highlighting both advances and areas that still require work.
Signs of progress in numbers:
- Violence against women: 90 percent of countries reported strengthening their laws on gender-based violence, their implementation, and enforcement, up from 83 percent in 2019.
- Poverty: 79 percent of states reported efforts to strengthen their social protection systems—including maternity leave, cash transfers, retirement systems, and other policies essential for combating poverty and boosting women’s economic empowerment—up from 70 percent in 2019.
- Girls’ rights: 70 percent of member states focused on girls’ access to education, up from 61 percent in 2019.
- Women and leadership: 38 percent of countries reported measures to prevent and investigate cases of violence against women in public life, more than double the percentage recorded in 2019.
- Access to land and resources: 48 percent of states reported measures to improve women’s access to land, water, energy, and other natural resources, a 10 percentage point increase since 2019.
- Women in humanitarian crises: 43 percent reported adopting a gender-sensitive approach to humanitarian action and crisis response, up from 40 percent in 2019.
- Unpaid care work: In 2024, 66 percent of countries reported providing elder care services, up from 46 percent in 2019. These services are crucial for freeing up time for women, as a significant portion of their time is spent on unpaid care work and community work.
Barriers to gender equality: Despite progress, major challenges continue to hinder the progression towards gender equality. According to the Secretary-General’s report, the following obstacles require immediate attention if the international community is to fulfill the promises made in the Beijing Platform for Action:
- Economic and climate shocks, the COVID-19 pandemic, and conflicts: These crises have slowed gender equality efforts over the past five years. Domestic violence soared during pandemic lockdowns, and conflicts and the climate emergency disproportionately affect millions of women and girls worldwide. In 2023, over 170 armed conflicts were recorded, and about 612 million women and girls lived within 50 kilometers of these zones—more than double the number in 2010. And as the climate crisis worsens, 158.3 million more women and girls could fall into poverty by 2050.
- Hostile reactions against feminism and the fatigue of those defending women’s rights: In recent years, anti-rights movements have grown, with discriminatory laws targeting women’s sexual and reproductive health rights, limiting access to services, and weakening legal protections against gender-based violence. Women in politics and public life face more threats, and the space for women and girls to speak out and hold leaders accountable is shrinking at an alarming rate.
- Lack of funding for gender equality: Laws on gender equality are ineffective unless supported by real investments in their implementation. However, funding for gender equality is lagging behind. Austerity measures and exploding debt, particularly in the world’s poorest countries, have led to budget cuts in essential services like healthcare and education. In 2022, only 4 percent of total bilateral aid was directed toward programs with gender equality as their primary goal. Moreover, support for women’s rights organizations and government institutions advocating for gender equality is also declining. In 2021-2022, funding for women’s rights organizations dropped by one-third, to an average of $596 million per year, compared to $867 million in 2019-2020. National bodies tasked with promoting gender equality are losing funding, weakening, or being dismantled, depriving them of the power, capacity, or resources to do their work, further fueling crises.
- Demographic change: Rapid population growth in Sub-Saharan Africa and some regions of Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean is putting immense pressure on public services like healthcare, education, and sexual and reproductive health services in regions where governments were already struggling to provide them. In other parts of the world, like Europe or Japan, an aging population increases the volume of unpaid care work that women and girls perform more than men.
What must be done to achieve gender equality?
We have the power to change the future for women and girls, but urgent action is needed. Here are six initiatives that can drive real change for ALL women and girls, keeping young women and girls’ leadership at the center of each effort:
- For ALL women and girls – A digital revolution:
Reducing the gender digital divide could save $500 billion in the next five years. Technology must be a force for equality, not exclusion.
Support the Global Digital Pact and implement policies that close the gender digital divide by ensuring equal access and leadership opportunities for all women and girls in technology. - For ALL women and girls – End poverty:
Nearly one in ten women lives in extreme poverty. Public services and social protection enhance women’s economic security. Women also perform at least twice as much unpaid care work as men. Care work is vital for the well-being of families, societies, and economies, yet it is undervalued and underpaid. Investing in care services, like childcare, paid leave, and long-term care, could create nearly 300 million jobs by 2035.
Invest in social protection systems, public services, and care services to give women and girls the equal opportunities they deserve to thrive. - For ALL women and girls – Zero violence:
One in three women will experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. While many laws have been passed worldwide, they are often insufficiently enforced, and investments in prevention strategies are lacking.
Adopt, implement, and fund national laws and policies that ensure zero tolerance for violence against women and support local women’s organizations. - For ALL women and girls – Equal and full decision-making power:
Women represent only 27 percent of national parliamentarians globally, and thus decisions shaping their lives are mostly made by men. This is not only unjust but also ineffective. When women participate in political life, decisions are more inclusive, solutions are more diverse, and economic outcomes are stronger.
Implement laws and policies, apply temporary special measures such as quotas to increase the number of women in decision-making positions in politics, business, and institutions. - For ALL women and girls – Peace and security:
More than 600 million women and girls live in areas affected by armed conflict, and sexual violence related to conflict has increased by 50 percent just last year. Women’s organizations are on the frontlines of peacebuilding and crisis response, but they remain underfunded and undervalued.
Adopt fully funded national plans to increase the meaningful participation of women in all aspects of peace and security and fund women’s organizations in crisis and conflict situations. - For ALL women and girls – Climate justice:
The climate crisis and biodiversity loss are accelerating, and women, particularly in rural and indigenous communities, are bearing the brunt of the consequences. But they are also at the forefront of solutions.
Prioritize women and girls in climate action by increasing investments in their leadership and access to green jobs, particularly in sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, and care.
Together, we can create a just and equitable future for ALL women and girls.
The Beijing Platform for Action laid the foundation for change. It’s time to act, urgently, collaborate, and commit. It’s time to turn promises into action and make gender equality a reality for this generation.
UN Women