Against Wind and Tides: A Review of the Status of Women and Gender Equality in the Arab Region (Beijing +20)

As the international community marks the twentieth anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, an analytical review of both progress and ongoing challenges in the implementation of this agenda for women’s empowerment is important and timely. Taking stock of efforts that have been undertaken at the regional and national levels, such review will provide a basis for better understanding the ways of reaching gender equality. It will also be essential for deciding the best approaches to carry through other major initiatives, including the newly-adopted 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action is one of the reference frameworks for the analysis of the situation of women around the world and for the assessment of States’ efforts in support of women’s empowerment. Adopted by consensus in 1995 following the mobilization of over 40,000 government delegates, experts and civil society representatives at the Fourth World Conference on Women,2 the Beijing Platform embodies the commitment of the international community to achieve gender equality and to provide better opportunities for women and girls. Its key messages remain relevant today, affirming that women’s rights are human rights and that equality between women and men benefits everyone.