Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action

The United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women

Convened in 1995 in Beijing, following the previous ones that took place in Mexico City in 1975, Copenhagen in 1980 and Nairobi in 1985, the Conference coalesced preparations by delegates into the formulation of a Platform for Action that sought to draw a strategic blueprint to achieve greater equality and opportunity for women.

The overriding message is that the issues addressed -women and poverty, women and decision-making and violence against women, amongst others- are global and universal. Deeply entrenched attitudes and practices perpetuate inequality and discrimination against women in all parts of the world.

Accordingly, implementation requires that institutions at all levels must be reoriented to expedite changes in values, attitudes, practices and priorities; measures to protect and promote the human rights of women and girl-children as an integral part of universal human rights must underlie all action. As a result, Governments and the UN agreed to promote gender mainstreaming in policies and programmes.