IANWGE compendium – 30 years after Beijing: Promising practices on gender mainstreaming in support of the Beijing Platform for Action’s 12 critical areas of concern

The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995, marked a significant milestone in the global agenda for rights, gender equality, and the empowerment of women and girls, identifying 12 critical areas of concern to serve as a guiding framework for governments and organizations working towards gender equality. The enduring significance of the Platform for Action highlights the importance of sustained commitment to the empowerment of women and girls as a fundamental human right and a prerequisite for achieving broader social and economic development goals. As we mark 30 years since its adoption, we recognize this pivotal moment as one of both reflection and renewed commitment.

This publication stands as both a testament to the progress made and a call to action for the road ahead. The compendium presents 54 promising practices from 24 UN entities (ECLAC, FAO, GEF, IAEA, ILO, IOM, ITU, UN DESA, UN Habitat, UN Women, UNCDF, UNDP, DPPA, UNEP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNIDO, UNODC, UNOPS, UNRISD, WFP, and WHO) of progress in gender mainstreaming towards the Platform for Action’s 12 critical areas of concern. These promising practices reflect the ways in which the UN system has advanced women’s and girls’ rights by strategically and comprehensively embedding gender perspectives across policies and programmes.