International Women’s Day 2020: 25th anniversary of the #BeijingDeclaration

What is the Beijing Declaration?

In 1995, the UN’s 4th World Conference on women adopted a resolution regarding the empowerment and advancement of women around the world. It set out strategic objectives to achieve gender equality in 12 areas, including the economy, violence against women, women in power and women and the environment. As the vote took place in Beijing, this resolution is known as the Beijing Declaration.

Read more about the Parliament’s fight for gender equality.

Events in Parliament

To mark the anniversary of the Beijing Declaration, Parliament’s women's rights committee is organiszng an event on Thursday, 5 March. The focus will be on two issues: Beijing 25+: next steps towards Generation Equality, which will look at women in the economy, women’s entrepreneurship as well as the gender pay and pension gaps; as well as women leadership in the fight for climate justice.

Read more on the definition and causes of the gender pay gap.

European Parliament President David Sassoli will open the event, which will be chaired by Evelyn Regner, chairwoman of Parliament's women's rights committee.

Follow the event online on 5 March, from 9h to 12h30 CET.

You can also follow a seminar for journalists on gender equality on Wednesday 4 March. It will focus on:

• Empowering women: business, entrepreneurship, pay gap
• Women’s role in the climate change fight
• Violence against women: the steps towards the accession of the EU to the Istanbul Convention

Join us live on Facebook

Got a question about Parliament’s work on gender equality? Ask Evelyn Regner, the chair of Parliament's women's rights committee, during a Facebook live on Tuesday 3 March. Watch live on our Facebook page and submit questions in the comments.

Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women

A delegation from Parliament's women's rights committee will attend the 64th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, at the United Nations in New York on 9-20 March, focusing on the progress of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration. Parliament has already adopted a resolution setting out its priorities for gender equality.

More on Parliament's work regarding women’s rights

• Work-life balance: new leave rules for family care
• The 40% gender pension gap: how Parliament wants to narrow it (interview)
• Women in the European Parliament (infographics)
• Female genital mutilation
• Combatting sexual harassment
• Climate change: mitigating the impact on women