1995
Beijing, China
In September 1995, over 17,000 government delegates and 30,000 civil society activists convene in Beijing for the Fourth World Conference on Women. The conference culminates in the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPFA) by 189 countries. The BPFA outlines 12 Critical Areas of Concern, ranging from poverty and education to violence against women and the environment.
BPFA remains one of the most comprehensive global agendas for women’s rights to date.
The NGO Forum, which runs parallel to the official negotiations, is a site of intense feminist organising, debate, and solidarity-building, reflecting growing critiques—particularly from global South feminists—of economic globalisation, institutional gender mainstreaming, and the widening gap between elite commitments and grassroots realities.
