Edmund Rice Justice Bulletin

In 2015, International Women’s Day, celebrated globally on 8th March, highlighted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action,  an historic roadmap signed by 189 governments 20 years ago that sets the agenda for realising women’s rights. While there have been many achievements since then, many serious gaps remain.

 The Beijing Platform for Action focuses on 12 critical areas of concern, and envisions a world where each woman and girl can exercise her choices, such as participating in politics, getting an education, having an income, and living in societies free from violence and discrimination.

“Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality" asks governments to make national commitments to address the challenges that are holding women and girls back from reaching their full potential within the next 15 years. ‘Step It Up’ will showcase specific commitments that governments make, leading up to the United Nations General Assembly in September 2015. The initiative comes at a critical moment in time as a new development agenda is taking shape to replace the Millennium Development Goals.