We can say that sustainable development can only be achieved if women and men are both
involved equally and equitably in the development process at all levels of decisions and
responsibilities and in all spheres of life.
In 1995 the Fourth World Conference on Women was held in
Beijing. This conference resulted in a Declaration (United Nations 1995a) undersigned
by all the participating governments and a Platform for Action (United Nations 1995b), which significantly marked the pathway towards
gender equality. The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action provide a synthesis of the
progress achieved internationally until then with regards to development issues and human
rights. Furthermore, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for action make a significant step
forward in the conceptualization of gender equality. The Platform for Action calls for a
wider concept of gender equality and identifies its overall objective in the 'empowerment
of all women'. Besides reaffirming the significance of women's
rights as human rights, it states that gender equality is a necessary and
fundamental prerequisite for development and peace, and
instrumental to the achievement of all other development objectives:
"... a transformed partnership based on equality between women and men is a condition for
people-centered sustainable development." (United Nations 1995c)
If you think on your own life and society, can you identify critical areas building such obstacles?
The 185 Member States that approved the Platform for Action during the Conference committed
to work on each area for the removal of those obstacles by the year 2000. National
Governments were invited to prepare National Action Plans in accordance with the Platform,
and the Commission on the Status of Women was mandated by the General Assembly to play a
central role in monitoring its implementation, with the Division
for the Advancement of Women (DAW).
