Thu Mar 06 07:18:26 UTC 2025: ## UN Report: Gender Equality Under Attack 30 Years After Beijing Platform
**Nairobi, Kenya/United Nations, March 6, 2025** – Thirty years after the landmark Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a new UN Women report reveals a global surge in attacks on women’s and girls’ rights. The report, released ahead of International Women’s Day, paints a grim picture, highlighting persistent gender discrimination and a significant backlash against hard-won gains.
The report, based on data from 159 countries, found that nearly a quarter of governments reported a rise in anti-women’s rights movements in the past year. Despite progress in areas like girls’ education and family planning access, the report underscores alarming statistics: a woman or girl is killed every 10 minutes by a partner or family member, and conflict-related sexual violence has increased by 50% since 2022. Furthermore, women hold only 64% of the legal rights afforded to men, and while female representation in lawmaking has increased, men still constitute three-quarters of lawmakers globally.
While acknowledging positive developments such as laws combating violence against women and efforts to improve girls’ education, the report emphasizes the deep-seated nature of gender discrimination and the widening power and resource gaps that hinder women’s rights. The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, stated that misogyny is becoming mainstream, urging a firm stand to achieve human rights and equality for all women and girls.
UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous outlined a roadmap to address these challenges, focusing on digital inclusion for women and girls, investments in social protections, zero tolerance for violence, and equal decision-making power for women. The roadmap also emphasizes gender-responsive humanitarian aid in conflict zones. The report serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing struggle for gender equality and the urgent need for global action.
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