30 years on: Beijing Conference on women’s rights

Commission on the Status of Women will review three decades of implementing roadmap for women’s empowerment

(LWI) - Three decades ago, in September 1995, thousands of women’s rights advocates gathered with representatives of over 180 nations in Beijing, China, for the signing of a document that marked a turning point in the struggle for women’s empowerment. The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) was present at that Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing and will be marking its 30^th anniversary at the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) which is set to open in New York on 10 March.

This year’s session of the Commission is focused on reviewing the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which was adopted unanimously by all 189 countries at the close of the conference in China. It set out a roadmap for achieving equality between women and men, identifying 12 key areas where urgent action is needed to ensure progress and equal opportunities for all.

“Our delegates were in Beijing for that historic conference and we have been contributing to the implementation of its policy document for thirty years since then,” notes Sikhonzile Ndlovu, LWF’s Senior Advocacy Officer for Gender Justice. “This year, we will be playing an important role in the review process, collaborating with Ecumenical Women and other partners to spotlight obstacles that still persist and places where hard won progress risks being pushed back in many countries today.”

Many of the key areas of concern, identified in the Beijing Platform for Action, such as the gender pay gap and women’s disproportionate burdens of unpaid care, are still relevant today, Ndlovu says. “We also see how discrimination, lack of resources, unjust social and economic structures continue to hold back women and girls. We believe faith-based organizations can play a vital role in advocating for change,” she insists.

The LWF delegation to the 69^th session of CSW includes many young women and men who are attending the UN meeting for the first time, learning how to connect their local advocacy work to the complex global mechanisms where crucial decision-making on policy and funding takes place. Other delegates from Zimbabwe, South Africa and Sweden will be sharing experiences and best practices of how to engage and hold governments accountable during and after the meeting ends.

Holding governments accountable

The work of the delegates is organized by the New York-based Lutheran Office for World Community (LOWC), a joint ministry of the LWF and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Director Christine Mangale notes that several African delegates have been denied visas to attend the meeting, “making it even more important to hold accountable governments that seek to stifle the voices of churches engaged in gender justice advocacy.”

Among the key events on the LWF agenda in New York is the launch of a publication showcasing the stories of delegates to the Beijing Conference in 1995, alongside those of other advocates who have carried forward the work since then. Rev. Dr Musimbi Kanyoro from Kenya, Priscilla Singh from India and Christine Grumm from the United States look back at their experiences in Beijing, reflecting on how far the world has come in implementing the ambitious agenda that was laid down at that landmark conference.

Another event, in partnership with the Anglican Communion, will explore the theme of what young people want for the future of the Beijing Platform for Action. LWF delegates will also take part in events showcasing how to advance women’s vital roles in peacemaking and how to challenge taboos and social norms which oppress or discriminate against women and girls.