KATHMANDU, March 8: Nearly a quarter of governments worldwide have reported a backlash against women’s rights in 2024, according to a new report by UN Women, signaling growing concerns about gender equality. Released ahead of International Women’s Day, the report, ‘Women’s Rights in Review 30 Years after Beijing’, highlights the urgent need for collective action to protect and empower women and girls globally.
The findings paint a stark picture of the challenges women continue to face: rising discrimination, weaker legal protections, and reduced funding for gender equality initiatives. Despite progress over the past three decades, including increased representation in leadership and legal reforms, women’s rights defenders continue to face harassment and violence, and a woman or girl is killed every 10 minutes by a partner or family member.
“When women and girls can rise, we all thrive. Yet, globally, women’s human rights are under attack. Instead of mainstreaming equal rights, we’re seeing the mainstreaming of misogyny,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres. “Together, we must stand firm in making human rights, equality, and empowerment a reality for all women and girls, for everyone, everywhere.”
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The report comes at a time of rising global crises—ranging from COVID-19 to climate change, economic instability, and armed conflicts—which have disproportionately affected women and girls. Over the past decade, the number of women and girls living in conflict zones has surged by 50 percent, while digital technology and artificial intelligence have exacerbated harmful gender stereotypes and widened the digital gender gap.
Despite these setbacks, the report also highlights significant progress. Since the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, gender parity has been achieved in girls’ education, maternal mortality has dropped by a third, and women’s representation in parliaments has more than doubled. Additionally, 1,531 legal reforms aimed at eliminating gender discrimination have been enacted across 189 countries and territories.
In Nepal, efforts to advance women’s rights have gained momentum. “Nepal has made significant strides in advancing women’s rights, from increasing women’s representation in leadership to expanding legal protections. But the road ahead requires bold action. We must invest in women and girls, ensure their voices are heard, and dismantle barriers that hinder progress,” said Patricia Fernandez-Pacheco, UN Women Country Representative for Nepal.
Marking 30 years since the landmark Beijing Declaration, UN Women has introduced the Beijing+30 Action Agenda, which outlines six key areas for urgent action to advance gender equality. One of the key priorities is ensuring a digital revolution for women and girls by promoting equal access to technology, increasing female leadership in AI and digital innovation, and enhancing online safety. The agenda also emphasizes the need to eliminate poverty by investing in social protection, universal health coverage, education, and care services, which can create millions of green and decent jobs.
Addressing gender-based violence is another crucial focus, with strengthened laws and resources aimed at eradicating all forms of violence against women and girls. To ensure full and equal decision-making power, the agenda advocates for gender quotas and other measures to enhance women's political and economic participation.
Additionally, it calls for dedicated funding to support women’s peace and security initiatives, particularly in conflict-affected regions. Finally, the agenda highlights the importance of climate justice by ensuring that women and girls play a central role in climate adaptation efforts and benefit from green job opportunities. By integrating these priorities into national policies and global frameworks, UN Women said it aims to accelerate progress towards gender equality and ensure a more inclusive future.
The UN Women has urged governments, organizations, and individuals to commit to concrete actions that uphold and advance women’s rights. “Women and girls are demanding change—and they deserve nothing less,” said Sima Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women.