Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights

Date: Friday, August 21, 2020

Author: Adwitya Taneja

Every woman across the world, regardless of her nationality, religion, ethnicity or language, has been compelled to fight for something that is rightfully hers. Be it unequal pay, household burdens, lack of access to education or just the daily dose of sexism, women have soldiered through it all. 

In a world burdened by systemic barriers to equality, 25 years ago, women from around the globe came together, determined to put an end to gender inequality. Rights advocates and the female global intelligentsia gathered at the Fourth World Conference on Women where they launched The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action plan demanding gender justice and transformative change in 12 key areas, including poverty, education and training, health, violence and armed conflict.

The plan focused on policies and programs that would strategically aim for the equal participation of women in all spheres ranging from media to politics. 

The Beijing Platform, which was adopted by 189 countries, is an inspirational initiative that strived to turn the vision of an ideal and equitable world into a reality. Unfortunately, even after 25 years, a world that is free from gender inequality is a spectacle we are yet to witness. 

However, as put brilliantly by Roy T. Bennett, “If you don’t give up on something you truly believe in, you will find a way,” and so we did. In an effort to ensure the worldwide implementation and achievement of the aims and proposals of the Beijing Platform for Action, UN Women initiated a multigenerational approach called “Generation Equality.” 

In lieu of the 25th anniversary of that momentous 1995 Conference on Women, the Generation Equality campaign aims to further the global cause of achieving gender equality by unifying the spirit of young women’s rights activists with the visions and values of the women involved in creating Beijing Platform for Action plan. 

The Generation Equality campaign allows for collaboration between two generations of women, each faced with their own sets of struggles in their own times. This intergenerational collaboration establishes a sense of sisterhood and empowerment that presents diverse strategic techniques to create a gender-equal world. The campaign calls for the end of sexual harassment and all forms of violence against women, demands equal pay and sharing of unpaid care work, equal participation of women in political life and decision-making, and health-care services that respond to the needs of women and girls. 

The action coalition approach adopted by UN Women to implement the campaign is a results-oriented strategy designed to create awareness, attract investments and act as a call for action that invites community effort. The availability of action packs and toolkits offers opportunities for first-hand experience to young girls who contribute to and promote the campaign, and allows them to perceive and understand Generation Equality for their own selves. 

In a world where youth leadership and activism are gaining significant importance, the Generation Equality campaign acts as an accelerator, furthering the cause of making a gender fair world. 

Millions of women fight their own battles against gender inequality, at work and at home, every day. However, it is initiatives such as these that give them the strength to keep going. What makes Generation Equality so unique is the fact that it combines the enthusiasm and energy of young women with the wisdom and experience of visionaries, reflecting the power of female solidarity. It aims at producing tangible results by taking concrete steps, thereby strengthening the ideals of gender equality. Through the Generation Equality forum, women and girls have the chance to raise their voices and share their stories. Social media and live events are other essentials tool being use to promote and advocate for the campaign. 

As someone who believes in the active advocacy of women’s empowerment and gender equality, the Generation Equality campaign acts as an opportunity for billions of young women such as myself, across the world, empowering them with the ability to realize and dream for a future free from the shackles of inequality.

As former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon puts it, “Achieving gender equality requires the engagement of women and men, girls and boys. It is everyone’s responsibility. Let us create a world where women and girls are no longer scared of the night, where they no longer have to fight for what they deserve and allow them and the future generations of women and girls, the opportunity to lead life on their own terms as equals.”

Adwitya Taneja is a graduate student pursuing English literature from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi University, India. She has a passion for writing, good food and dogs. She is an ardent advocate of women’s rights, positivity and self-love. She is a strong believer of children’s education and is an educational volunteer for The Hope Project Charitable Trust in New Delhi. She intends to further work towards the promotion and protection of gender rights.

Adwitya Taneja is a graduate student from India. She has a passion for writing and has previously written on issues such as the Yemen crisis, violence against women, menstrual health & hygiene among others. She is an ardent supporter of women’s rights and intends to work in future for the promotion and protection of gender rights.

Adwitya’s social media accounts: LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook

Related link: UNICEF: Voices of Youth