Three decades after the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing sparked a global movement for gender equality, China is preparing to host the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women this October. The event, the first of its kind in 10 years, aims to reinvigorate efforts to achieve the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action – transformative blueprints adopted by 189 countries in 1995.
The original Beijing Declaration called for dismantling systemic barriers to women's participation in politics, economics, and cultural leadership, while the Platform for Action outlined actionable steps across 12 areas including healthcare access, educational equity, and political representation. Chinese Foreign Ministry officials state the upcoming summit will focus on accelerating progress toward these goals five years ahead of the UN's 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda deadline.
"This meeting represents both a celebration of milestones and a strategic push to address persistent gaps," a ministry spokesperson told KhabarAsia.com. "By convening global leaders, we aim to transform policy frameworks into tangible improvements in women's lives worldwide."
Analysts note the timing holds symbolic significance, as recent World Bank data shows 95% of the world’s economies still maintain legal barriers to women’s economic participation. The summit is expected to address modern challenges including digital gender divides and climate-related impacts on women’s livelihoods.
