THE VOICE OF THE FUTURE is the title given to a press briefing by youth delegates attending the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China on 9 September 1995. Shown here is the panel moderated by Ms. Sherrill Whittington, Youth Advisor to the Conference Secretariat. Credit: UN/DPI 090214/M. Grant

About the event

The organization of the UN IVth Conference on Women (Beijing, September 1995) was a global milestone in terms of the collective power of women’s rights and feminist movements in influencing a global space and its outcome document, namely the Beijing Platform of Action. Whilst it was not possible after 1995 to continue holding global women’s conferences, which started in Mexico in 1975, several milestones marked that journey, notably the Generation Equality Forum held in Paris and Mexico in 2021. The history of the global women’s conferences journey from Mexico City in 1975 to Beijing in 1995, to the celebration of Beijing +30 remains little known to the present-day generation of feminists worldwide. Nevertheless, it is this journey and the evolvement of ideas and strategies that has led to the formulation of Feminist Foreign Policies. Today, feminist foreign policies have emerged as a powerful and transformative approach that is rooted in principles of gender equality, human rights, and social justice. As we reflect on Beijing+30 and beyond, it is critical for feminist movements, especially in the Global South, to reclaim and learn from their collective history. By understanding past achievements, challenges, and strategies, today’s feminist activists can better harness feminist foreign policies as a tool for empowerment. Feminist movements and civil society must explore how feminist foreign policies can support gender equality efforts on a global scale, ensuring that they serve the interests of marginalized communities and advance social justice in every corner of the world.

This event at CSW69 will create an multigenerational dialogue that brings together key global stakeholders and activists from two pivotal eras in the gender equality movement: those who influenced the landmark Beijing 1995 World Conference on Women and the current generation shaping the Beijing+30 era. The event aims to bridge the lessons of the past with today’s gender equality challenges, focusing on key milestones in women’s rights and the evolution of feminist foreign policies . The discussion will delve into how the emergence of feminist foreign policies, driven by feminist organizations and NGOs, has been a direct response to the work initiated during the 4th World Conference on Women. These organizations, who played a vital role in refining and improving the commitments made in Beijing, pushed governments to adopt a more comprehensive framework for addressing women’s rights, particularly in areas like violence against women and the role of women human rights defenders (WHRDs).

Since Beijing, significant progress has been made, such as the recognition of the importance of involving women in peacebuilding processes and acknowledging their unique experiences in conflict zones. The ongoing importance of declarations like the Beijing Platform for Action and the adoption of feminist foreign policies shows that, while progress has been made, there are still critical gaps that need to be addressed. These include ongoing issues of violence against women, gender inequality in conflict and post-conflict settings, and the need for sustained political commitment to gender equality. This event will highlight the ongoing struggle for equality and the need to ensure that the achievements and lessons of the past are integrated into current policy and action.

Registration

• Register here.

Speakers

Opening Remarks

• Dr. Fadlo Khuri, President, American University of Beirut

• Charlotte Bunch, Senior International Fellow, American University of Beirut’s Asfari Institute for Civil Society and Citizenship

Part One: The Making of Beijing and the Platform for Action

• Alicia Buenrostro Massieu, Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Mexico to the United Nations

• TBC, Permanent Mission of Finland to the United Nations

• Tuula Haatainen, Member of Parliament, Government of Finland

• Anita Nayar, Director, Regions Refocus

• Patricia Licuanan, Former Chair, UN Commission on the Status of Women

• (Moderator) Lina Abou-Habib, Director, American University of Beirut’s Asfari Institute for Civil Society and Citizenship

Part Two: From the Beijing Platfom for Action To Feminist Foreign Policies

• Dr. Kristen Ali Eglinton, Founder and Executive Director, Footage Foundation

• Lyric Thompson, Founder and CEO, Feminist Foreign Policy Collaborative

• Nisren Habib, Manager, Feminist Research Unit of the Women Now for Development

• Ana María Tepichin, Director, Center for Gender Studies of El Colegio de México

• (Moderator) Zeina Abdel Khalik, Executive Director, Doria Feminist Fund

Part Three: Beijing +30 during times of upheaval and conflict

• Lydia Alpizar, Co-Executive Director, IM-Defensoras (Mexico)

• Fahima Hashem, Director, Salmmah Womens’s Resource Center (Sudan)

• Zeina Abdel Khalik, Executive Director, Doria Feminist Fund

• Lina Aboub-Habib, Director, American University of Beirut’s Asfari Institute for Civil Society and Citizenship

• (Moderator) Carla Akil, Assistant to the Director, American University of Beirut’s Asfari Institute for Civil Society and Citizenship

Closing Remarks

• Dr. Tania Haddad, Director, American University of Beriut’s Global Engagement Initiative

Organizers

• Permanent Mission of Finland to the United Nations

• Permanent Mission of Mexico to the United Nations 

• Permanent Mission of Chile to the United Nations

• American University of Beirut (Asfari Institute for Civil Society and Citizenship and the Global Engagement Initiative)

• Colegio de México

• Feminist Foreign Policy Collaborative

• The Footage Project

• UN Women

• NGO Committee on the Status of Women (NGO CSW)