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The 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration has once again highlighted the need for new and stronger steps in the struggle for women’s rights
The 69th Session of the United Nations (UN) Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is being held in New York from 10 to 21 March 2025.
This year’s session aims to assess the progress made in the struggle for equality and justice on the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted in 1995.
Forty thousand activists, government representatives and civil society organizations (CSOs) from around the world came together at hundreds of events. In addition to official and informal sessions, side events and marches organized by civil society organizations also attracted significant attention.
Beijing Declaration: What has changed in 30 years?
The Beijing Declaration, adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing on 15 September 1995, established a global roadmap for advancing gender equality and human rights. Endorsed by 199 countries, the document identified 12 priority areas aimed at increasing women’s participation in economic, social and political life:
• Women and poverty
• Education and training of women
• Women and health
• Violence against women
• Women and armed conflict
• Women and the economy
• Participation in decision-making mechanisms
• Women and human rights
• Women and the media
• Women and the environment
• Empowerment of the girl child
• Improvement of women’s social status
However, assessments conducted 30 years later show that the desired progress has not been achieved in these areas. Issues such as violence, inequality in economic and political representation, and inequitable access to education and healthcare remain unresolved problems in many countries. As in the Beijing+25 process held in 2020, the 30th anniversary also underscores that full equality has not yet been achieved and that stronger policy measures are needed.
Strong participation from Türkiye
This year’s sessions have seen broad participation from Türkiye and around the world. Independent organizations from Türkiye, activists participating in events through U.S.-based civil society organizations, and women attending individually are bringing rights struggles in Türkiye to the international agenda by taking part in various sessions.
The Flying Broom Foundation (Uçan Süpürge Vakfı), representing Türkiye in the Beijing+30 process, is also playing an important role. For years, the Foundation has carried out extensive work to inform civil society organizations about international processes and encourage their active participation in these platforms. It has previously contributed to the preparation of shadow reports on the Beijing process and hosted the World March of Women Secretariat in Türkiye for the first time.
War, migration and violence high on the agenda
Among the most widely discussed issues at the CSW69 sessions are human rights violations in war and conflict zones. At a session to be held on 19 March by the Syrian Women’s Political Movement (SWPM), one of the Syrian women’s organizations, questions and answers regarding violations of women’s rights in Syria, as well as the massacres in Syria and against Alevis, are being awaited with great interest.
Various events addressing the situation in Gaza are being organized, while the challenges faced by migrant women and issues of global solidarity are also among the topics under discussion.
Actions and meetings on different themes were held around UN Headquarters. Events drawing attention to the rights violations experienced by migrants and to global inequalities attracted the interest of many participants.
Unofficial “safe space” meetings are also drawing attention. The international community is emphasizing the need to develop urgent solutions to issues of war, migration and violence against women.
Outcomes from CSW69 are awaited
The 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration has once again highlighted the need for new and stronger steps in the struggle for women’s rights. Cooperation among governments, civil society organizations and individuals is of great importance in building a world where women and girls have access to rights, opportunities and safety.
The 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women is seen as a critical turning point for reviewing the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and developing sustainable gender equality policies. The decisions to be taken following the sessions, which will conclude on 20 March, will help guide the development of new policies in the struggle for women’s rights.
This article was prepared in 2025 by journalist Dudu Büşra Maksutoğlu Karadeniz as part of the Local Women Journalists Network Project.
