Three decades after the adoption of the historic Beijing Declaration on women’s rights, the United Nations is sounding the alarm. Despite progress in gender equality, women and girls worldwide still face widespread discrimination, violence, and barriers to equality.
At this year’s General Assembly, leaders will mark the 30th anniversary of the landmark agreement while warning that none of the global gender equality targets are currently on track.
Poverty And Exclusion Remain Widespread
The 2025 Gender Snapshot report from UN Women and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs reveals stark figures. Today, one in ten women live in extreme poverty, and unless urgent action is taken, an estimated 351 million women and girls will remain trapped in poverty by 2030.
The report also highlights the toll of unpaid care work, which excludes 708 million women from the labor market. Even those employed often remain confined to low-paying jobs while facing barriers to land ownership, financial services, and equal economic opportunities.
Violence And Conflict Push Women Further Back
Gender-based violence continues to affect one in three women globally during their lifetimes. Alarming new figures show that 676 million women live within 50 kilometers of an armed conflict zone, the highest number recorded since the 1990s.
In some regions, hard-won gains in women’s rights are under threat due to shrinking civic spaces and growing political backlash.
Looking Back At Beijing’s Impact
The Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995, was a milestone moment. Governments from 189 countries unanimously adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, recognizing equality between women and men as a matter of human rights and a prerequisite for peace and development.
Since then, legal protections have expanded. By 2025, 1,583 laws addressing gender-based violence had been enacted in 193 countries, compared to just 12 in 1995. More than 100 countries now provide specialized police training to support survivors. Gender discrimination in workplaces has been outlawed in many states, and gender gaps in education have narrowed across all levels.
In peacebuilding, the number of national action plans on women, peace, and security has increased from 19 in 2010 to 112 today.
Progress Under Pressure
Despite these achievements, momentum has slowed. Between 2010 and 2019, 60 percent of countries experienced slower progress in reducing premature deaths related to noncommunicable diseases affecting women, showing how health and gender issues remain intertwined.
At the high-level commemoration event on 22 September, Member States, civil society organizations, academics, and private sector leaders will debate how to accelerate implementation of the Beijing commitments. UN Women emphasizes that investing in women is not only a moral obligation but also an economic necessity. The agency estimates that reducing extreme poverty among women to 2.7 percent by 2050 could inject $342 trillion into the global economy.
Funding Shortfalls And Political Will
Yet, financing remains a major obstacle. Only half of ministries or institutions dedicated to gender equality have adequate resources. Sarah Hendriks of UN Women pointed out the disparity between military and equality spending, noting that the world allocates $2.7 trillion annually to weapons but falls short of the $320 billion needed to advance women’s rights.
WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP: A CENTURY-LONG WAIT?
Despite progress in laws and protections, women remain severely underrepresented in power. Globally, women hold only 27 percent of parliamentary seats and 30 percent of leadership positions. A total of 113 countries have never had a woman head of state.
At this year’s UN General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, only the fifth woman to serve as Assembly President in the UN’s 80-year history, will chair the high-level meeting. She will also preside over the election of the next Secretary-General, a role never held by a woman.
If current trends continue, the world may need another century before gender parity in leadership is achieved.
A Defining Moment For The Next Generation
The anniversary of the Beijing Declaration is both a reminder of past victories and a warning of future risks. Without urgent investment and political will, millions of women will remain locked in cycles of poverty, violence, and exclusion.
As UN leaders emphasized, achieving gender equality is not only about justice—it is essential for sustainable development, peace, and global prosperity.