Beijing+30: 106 Governments Make Historic Pledge to Advance Women’s Rights

In a landmark show of global solidarity, 106 governments from every region have announced 191 commitments to accelerate progress on gender equality by 2030. The pledges, unveiled by UN Women through the newly launched Beijing+30 Priority Actions Dashboard, mark the strongest multilateral stand for women and girls in three decades.

The initiative demonstrates that gender equality remains both a unifying force for multilateralism and an urgent priority for sustainable development.

A Global Rallying Point for Women’s Rights

UN Women’s Executive Director Sima Bahous described the moment as a turning point: “This act of showing up for the rights of women and girls affirms a powerful truth: gender equality remains a unifying force for the world. And multilateralism is still committed to delivering an equal world for all women and girls.”

The commitments come 30 years after the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the most visionary global agreement on gender equality, which set out a roadmap to advance women’s rights worldwide.

Key Areas of Commitment

The new pledges cover a wide range of priority issues:

• Ending violence against women and girls: One-third of all commitments focus on tackling gender-based violence, from legal reforms to prevention programmes.

• Grounding in international agreements: 46 governments explicitly tied their actions to frameworks such as CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• Transforming discriminatory norms: Governments pledged to embed gender equality into education systems, strengthen digital safety, and reform care systems, recognizing that laws alone cannot dismantle entrenched inequalities.

• Financing for gender equality: Commitments include new funding streams for women’s organizations, countering the impact of recent global funding cuts that threaten hard-won progress.

• Gender data and accountability: Countries promised to expand data collection to ensure visibility and measurable progress.

• Partnerships with feminist organizations: Many commitments include collaboration with civil society, especially on issues such as peace and security, climate action, and economic justice.

• Focus on youth: Nearly all governments placed adolescent girls and young women at the centre of their strategies, recognizing them as today’s leaders, not just future beneficiaries.

A Once-in-a-Generation Moment

On 22 September 2025, gender equality will take centre stage at the High-level Meeting of the UN General Assembly in New York, commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Beijing World Conference on Women. Heads of State and Government will gather for what many see as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to act decisively on promises to women and girls.

Bahous urged governments to match political will with financing: “Gender equality always was, and always will be, a powerful source of hope. But hope alone is not enough. Political support must be matched by financial support — otherwise we will continue to deny true equality for all women and girls for generations to come. Now is our moment.”

The Call to Action

UN Women stressed that commitments must now be translated into tangible results. Governments are being urged to demonstrate through action that advancing the rights of women and girls is not only a moral obligation but also the foundation for peace, justice, human rights, and sustainable development.

Thirty years after Beijing, the international community stands at a crossroads. With clear commitments on the table, the coming years will determine whether promises are fulfilled — or whether another generation of women and girls must wait for the equality that remains long overdue.