Q. ‘Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action’ often seen in the news, is

  • a strategy to tackle the regional terrorism, an outcome of a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
  • a plan of action for sustainable economic growth in the Asia-Pacific Region, an outcome of deliberations of the Asia-Pacific Economic Forum
  • an agenda for women’s empowerment, an outcome of a World Conference convened by the United Nations
  • a strategy to combat wildlife trafficking, a declaration of the East Asia Summit

Answer: (c) an agenda for women’s empowerment, an outcome of a World Conference convened by the United Nations

Notes:
  • The Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action adopted unanimously by 189 countries at the United Nations World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995.
  • It recognizes women’s rights as human rights and sets out a comprehensive roadmap for achieving equality between women and men.
  • It aims at accelerating the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women and at removing all the obstacles to women’s active participation in all spheres of public and private life through a full and equal share in economic, social, cultural and political decision-making.
  • The Platform for Action is an agenda for women’s empowerment.
World Conferences on Women
  • The United Nations has organized four world conferences on women. These took place in Mexico City in 1975, Copenhagen in 1980, Nairobi in 1985 and Beijing in 1995. The last was followed by a series of five-year reviews.
  • The 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing marked a significant turning point for the global agenda for gender equality.
  • The Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action, adopted unanimously by 189 countries, is an agenda for women’s empowerment and considered the key global policy document on gender equality.
  • It sets strategic objectives and actions for the advancement of women and the achievement of gender equality in 12 critical areas of concern:
    • Women and poverty
    • Education and training of women
    • Women and health
    • Violence against women
    • Women and armed conflict
    • Women and the economy
    • Women in power and decision-making
    • Institutional mechanism for the advancement of women
    • Human rights of women
    • Women and the media
    • Women and the environment
    • The girl-child