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Beijing Women’s Summit: 30 Years On — Progress or Promise?
Oct 15, 2025
Thirty years after the 1995 Beijing Declaration, leaders and activists reunite to ask: has true gender equality been achieved, or are promises still unfulfilled? #beijing #china
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0:00
In Beijing, world leaders, activists,
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and advocates for women's rights are
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gathering once again. The global leaders
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meeting on women marks 30 years since
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the groundbreaking Beijing declaration,
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a promise made in 1995 to create a world
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where women and men share equal rights
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and opportunities.
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Three decades later, the question being
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asked in every session is simple. how
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much progress has really been made. The
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conference brings together
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representatives from governments, the
0:34
United Nations, and civil society
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groups. They are here to discuss the
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major issues still holding women back.
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From unequal pay and education gaps to
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gender-based violence and political
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under representation,
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UN women and Chinese officials say the
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goal isn't just to celebrate
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achievements, but to measure reality.
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Because while progress is visible in
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many areas, true equality remains
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distant. Since 1995, more girls have
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access to education than ever before.
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Women are taking leadership roles in
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business, politics, and science. In some
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countries, laws protecting women from
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violence and discrimination have become
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stronger. But the global picture is
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uneven. In many regions, women still
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earn less for the same work, face
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barriers to health care, and carry most
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of the unpaid labor at home. In conflict
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zones, women continue to bear the
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heaviest burdens, displacement, loss,
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and vulnerability to exploitation.
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Activists at the Beijing Summit are
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making their voices heard. A young
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delegate from Kenya called on leaders to
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stop making equality a slogan and stop
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making it a budget. A speaker from Latin
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America shared how women in her
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community use social media to organize,
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educate, and demand accountability from
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local leaders. There are also debates
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about technology, how artificial
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intelligence and automation can either
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empower women or deepen inequalities if
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not handled responsibly.
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The toughest challenge is turning words
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into action. Many of the promises from
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the original 1995 declaration remain
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unfulfilled because of limited funding,
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political resistance, or cultural
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barriers. Experts at the summit say
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governments must commit real resources,
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not just symbolic gestures. There is
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also a growing focus on
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intersectionality,
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recognizing how race, class, disability,
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and geography shape women's experiences
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differently. As one delegate puts it,
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equality isn't one sizefits-all. It has
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to fit every woman's reality. The
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Beijing Summit ends with renewed
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pledges, but the real test will happen
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in communities, classrooms, and
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workplaces around the world. Because
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gender equality isn't achieved by
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speeches, it is achieved by actions.
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