http://beijing20.unwomen.org/en/news-and-events/stories/2014/5/beijing-plus-20-campaign-launch-press-release#sthash.rouIcSSI.dpuf UN Women
today launched a major campaign in the lead-up to the commemoration of the 20th
anniversary of the historic Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. A year
of activities around the world will aim to mobilize governments and citizens
alike to picture a world where gender equality is a reality and to join a
global conversation on empowering women to empower humanity.
Events
will focus on achievements and gaps in gender equality and women’s empowerment
since 189 governments adopted the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for
Action. This visionary blueprint paves the way for women’s full and equal
participation in all spheres of life and decision-making.
“The
Beijing Platform for Action is an unfulfilled promise to women and girls,” says
UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. “Our goal is
straightforward: renewed commitment, strengthened action and increased
resources to realize gender equality, women’s empowerment and the human rights
of women and girls.”
The
Beijing Women’s Conference drew an unprecedented 17,000 participants while
30,000 representatives attended the NGO Forum. Next year, in 2015, the United
Nations will assess progress on implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action
over the past 20 years, based on national reports currently being prepared by
UN Member States.
The
campaign will kick off with an all-day Tweetathon spanning the globe.
Participating groups will include the UN, Lean In, the World YWCA, the
World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, Half the Sky, the European
Women’s Lobby, the Women’s Media Centre, Devex and other regional and national
experts.
UN Women
will unveil a global
information hub featuring diverse voices, testimonies of personal
experiences and achievement, celebrity champions and a calendar to track
Beijing+20 events. The HeforShe
web platform will spotlight prominent men standing up to end violence against
women and advance equality. UN Women will support engagement through its
network of country offices and release an interactive Facebook app, “Close the Gap”.
“This
anniversary takes place at an historic moment,” stresses UN Women’s
Mlambo-Ngucka, “as the nations of the world are coming together to accelerate
progress to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 and define a new
global development framework. We must seize this once-in-a-generation
opportunity to position gender equality, women’s rights and women’s empowerment
at the centre of the global agenda and make it a reality.”
Major
campaign events are being planned around the world. This June, tens of
thousands of people will gather in Sweden to advocate for the protection of the
human rights of women and girls. In September, at the Climate Summit in New
York, a special event will be held with women heads of State and activists. In
India in November, men and boys will make a show of force for gender equality.
The
formal commemoration of the 20th anniversary will take place during the 59th
session of the Commission on the Status of Women and International Women’s Day
2015 will be dedicated to Beijing+20. A high-level commitment meeting is
expected in September 2015.
During
the past two decades much progress has been made in women’s legal rights,
educational achievements, and participation in public life. But much still
remains to be done to address gender wage gaps and unequal opportunities, low
representation of women in leadership in public office and the private sector,
child marriage, rampant violence and other violations against women and girls.
“Today I
call on everyone to be part of the solution,” said Ms Mlambo-Ngcuka. “Picture
It! Together we can realize the promise of Beijing: equality between women and
men.”
Watch our campaign teaser video here: http://youtu.be/dHliULCiSCA
For more
information:
- Sharon Grobeisen; Tel: +1
646 781-4753; sharon.grobeisen[at]unwomen.org
Advice from UN women unwomen.org
