Leaders lament slow progress on women's rights 30 years after Beijing milestone

23/9/2025 6:33

"A wave of misogyny is rolling across the world," U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told world leaders who warned of a growing global backlash against women's rights on the 30th anniversary of a landmark conference.



A day before speeches are set to begin at the 80th session of the U.N. General Assembly, Guterres said that hard-won gains for women's rights are under attack and lamented the impact some technological advancements are having on women's rights.



The 1995 United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing is perhaps best known for the phrase "women's rights are human rights," spoken by then-U.S. first lady Hillary Clinton, later secretary of state.



At the Beijing conference 189 nations signed a document calling for the "full and equal participation of women in political, civil, economic, social and cultural life."



Guterres said the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action was the most ambitious global political commitment to women’s rights ever achieved. But "progress has been slow and uneven," he said.