Global Advocate Urges Urgent Protection of Women’s Rights Achieved in Beijing

Former South African Deputy President and gender equality champion, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, has urged the international community to safeguard the hard-won rights of women, warning that today’s geopolitical climate threatens the gains achieved at the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action.

Speaking on the significance of the historic conference, adopted during Bill Clinton’s presidency in the United States, Mlambo-Ngcuka noted: “The nature of politics today is such that if we were to gather nations again, they might roll back the rights we fought so hard to secure. We must protect those rights with everything we have.”

The first female Deputy President of South Africa highlighted technology as a vital tool to enhance skills and drive meaningful impact. “Technology is an enabler, but you need the content and capability to deliver,” she said.

Drawing from her tenure at UN Women and the World Bank Group’s Advisory Council on Gender and Development, Mlambo-Ngcuka condemned ongoing discrimination against women, persons with disabilities, ethnic and racial minorities, and children. She recalled her firm stance against renegotiating the Beijing Declaration, citing risks of eroding progress.

“I was asked to revisit Beijing and add to it, but I refused. There are too many forces ready to undermine what we achieved. Today, the stakes are even higher,” she warned.

Mlambo-Ngcuka also called on policymakers to ensure that women’s voices are reflected in policy formulation, urging all-male delegations to include diverse perspectives. She stressed the importance of empowering young women and girls, noting that the youth, as the largest demographic group globally, must be given leadership opportunities.

Her remarks underscore the urgent need for sustained advocacy and vigilance to prevent the rollback of women’s rights worldwide.