UN Women at the High-Level Political Forum 2025: powering global progress for all women and girls
Gender equality takes center stage with a full review of SDG 5, urgent calls to close the $420 billion annual financing gap, and a spotlight on feminist leadership driving progress across the 2030 Agenda.
At this year’s High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), UN Women is leading a global push to put gender equality and the rights of all women and girls at the heart of sustainable development and financing agendas. With just five years remaining to meet the 2030 targets, this year’s Forum serves as a key checkpoint. At its core is a full review of Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality (SDG5) and its critical links to progress across all goals. UN Women is spotlighting the urgent need to close the gender financing gap and scale up investment in care systems, gender-responsive institutions, and policies that reach women most at risk of being left behind.
With bold advocacy at the top and grassroots voices on the ground, HLPF 2025 offers rich, timely storylines for journalists covering gender equality, health, climate justice, development, and social change.
Looking ahead: Beijing+30 at the HLPF
On Thursday, 24 July, UN Women and the President of the General Assembly will convene a multistakeholder hearing marking the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action, with the participation of the President of the General Assembly, the UN Secretary General and UN Women's Executive Director.
The event will bring together feminist leaders, governments, and partners to spotlight bold reforms and investments needed to accelerate gender equality and the empowerment and rights of all women and girls. It will highlight how inclusive leadership and coordinated action, anchored in UN Women’s vision, can drive progress on SDG 5 and unlock gains across the 2030 Agenda.
A list of UN Women’s HLPF engagements is available here. The HLPF program is available in full here.
Key story angles and media opportunities
Executive leadership at the forefront
UN Women’s senior leaders will speak at several high-level events, with Executive Director Sima Bahous set to address the official session on SDG 5 and interlinkages with other SDGs – Gender equality, reinforcing the central message that there can be no progress on the 2030 Agenda without gender equality. As SDG 5 undergoes a full review at this year’s HLPF, UN Women is leading calls for urgent investment and political action to close the $420 billion annual financing gap for gender equality in developing countries. From economic policy and law reform to digital transformation and climate action, UN Women is highlighting how SDG 5 is not just a standalone goal, but a key driver of progress across all other SDGs. These engagements offer clear media moments, sharp soundbites, and strong visuals that show how global leaders are responding to rising pressure for impactful, well-funded change.
Media opportunity: Interviews with UN Women’s senior officials can be arranged upon request to [ Click to reveal ]
Launching a global alliance for women facing work and descent-based discrimination
On Thursday, 17 July, UN Women will launch a new policy brief spotlighting the rights and leadership of women from communities long excluded due to caste, race, or traditional occupation—such as Dalit women in South Asia, Quilombola in Brazil, Haratine in Mauritania, Burakumin in Japan, and Roma across Europe. These women face deep-rooted discrimination tied to the work they’ve historically been forced into. For the first time, grassroots leaders from these communities are building a global alliance to push for recognition and protection under international law.
Media opportunity: Interviews can be arranged with UN Women’s Racial Justice Specialist and grassroots leaders attending HLPF from India, Africa, and Central and Eastern Europe. Journalists covering racial justice, social exclusion, or underreported feminist movements will find this a strong entry point for in-depth coverage and interviews. An embargoed copy of the policy brief can be requested in advance by emailing [ Click to reveal ]
Grassroots women taking the mic
Across a series of side events, grassroots women leaders will share firsthand accounts of their work in land rights, food systems, and climate action. These voices bring immediacy and authenticity to stories about feminist economic solutions and community-led resilience.
Media opportunity: Press attending these events can capture compelling personal narratives and arrange interviews with women leaders who are driving change in their own contexts.
Accelerating action to end violence against women
UN Women together with the EU and partners is convening a side event focused on cross-sectoral action to end violence against women and girls on Tuesday, 22 July. At the event, UN Women will launch a new policy paper series as part of the Beijing+30 review process. The series is designed to support Member States in turning commitments into concrete action, with targeted insights on prevention, data, national action plans, response systems, and the vital role of women’s rights organizations.
Media opportunity: Interviews and comments from UN Women officials and event partners can be arranged upon request to [ Click to reveal ]
Sport as a catalyst for gender equality and social impact
A special HLPF side event will spotlight how strategic partnerships in sport are delivering measurable social impact for girls and young women, linking directly to SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). The event will feature voices from global sports, government, philanthropy, and youth development.
Media opportunity: For pre-arranged interviews and embargoed materials, contact the UN Media Team. As an additional resource, check out UN Women’s latest explainer: How to keep girls playing sport, with expert tips from Eda Erdem and Marta Vieira da Silva.
Why it matters
This year marks 30 years since the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action, the most ambitious global agenda for advancing women’s rights. At HLPF 2025, gender equality is not only under review, it’s at the heart of the world’s path forward.
With global momentum building around practical solutions and bold reforms, this is a pivotal moment to report on how countries, movements, and institutions are working to deliver on long-standing promises.
For journalists, it’s a chance to capture where the push for gender equality stands and where it must go next.
