We talk about international documents that support the rights of women and girls, creating equal opportunities for all.
The Beijing Platform for Action — is a global strategy document for achieving gender equality and women's empowerment. It was approved more than three decades ago - in 1995, at the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China.
The document, the purpose of which is to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and girls, to ensure their full participation in public life, was supported by representatives of 189 countries of the world. Ukraine's participation in the Beijing Conference was a confirmation that the struggle for women's rights has always been part of Ukrainian identity.
The globality and comprehensiveness of the program lies in the — strategy to introduce equality between men and women in all spheres of life: from parenthood to high management positions.
Importantly, the platform identifies 12 critical areas for action, including:
- Poverty and economic inequality.
- Education and professional training of women.
- Health care and reproductive rights.
- Violence against women.
- Participation in decision-making and state management.
- Rights of the child and girls.
More than 30 years have passed since the conference in Beijing. But until now, no country has been able to fully implement all the principles of the Beijing Platform. Despite declarations to support women's rights, their implementation of — is still not the basic settings of every society. And this first of all emphasizes its comprehensiveness and the voluminous work that will still have to be done.
According to the analysis of Ukrainian NGOs, Ukraine adopts fragmented strategies and programs that, although reflecting the goals of the Beijing Platform, do not always contribute to integration and coordination.
Challenges remain in ensuring consistency of gender policies and programmes, which may lead to duplication of reporting on some indicators.
And in general, and even 30 years after Beijing, there is still a struggle for access to rights and equal results of implementation!Photo - Ukrainian Women's Watch
