Brief: Women in Power in Asia and the Pacific – A 30-Year Journey of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action

Achieving gender-equal leadership in governance is within reach — but only if the barriers holding women back are systematically dismantled.

This UN Women Brief examines the structural, social and political barriers to leadership encountered by women across the Asia-Pacific region, alongside new approaches and actions to accelerate progress.

It is a key knowledge product produced by UN Women with support from the Government of the Republic of Korea through its Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, and the project Beijing+30 Activation: Strengthening Women's Leadership to Accelerate Progress on Women's Rights in South and South-East Asia.

The project pioneers the application of CEDAW General Recommendation No. 40 to advance gender-equal and inclusive governance, as well as the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action critical area of "Women in Power and Decision-Making to set a new standard.

The Brief is complemented by an infographic – Women in Power in Asia and the Pacific – which displays key facts and statistics concerning women’s representation in governance, focused on political representation in national and local government.