The fourth world conference on women in Beijing promised a revolution, but had not delivered the longed-for promise of gender equality, the woman who led the landmark meeting 20 years ago told world leaders on Sunday.

Gertrude Mongella, who was secretary-general of the conference held in September 1995, said: “A revolution began [at Beijing] but is not yet completed. We have to keep on moving. We have seen some changes, but we are not yet there. This is what the women of the world are saying.”

To applause, Mongella pleaded with delegates at the high-level UN meeting on gender equality and women’s empowerment, hosted by UN Women and the Chinese government in New York, to do more to end conflict.

“We women of the world have been voting for you to be in a position to protect our lives. Please stop the wars. Look for alternative ways of solving problems. Women are suffering so much in Syria. They are moving, dying, delivering [babies] on the streets. Please stop the wars.”

She also called on all governments to adopt zero tolerance of violence against women, share resources equitably and ensure that an equal number of women to men are in decision-making positions. “Women are tired of being discriminated against simply because we are born women.”

Mongella was one of the speakers at the day-long conference to mark the 20th anniversary of the Beijing conference and the resulting platform for action, which is considered a blueprint for gender equality and empowerment.

The Beijing conference built on three previous world summits for women, held in Mexico in 1975, Denmark in 1980 and Kenya in 1985.

The Beijing agreement focused on 12 areas that required urgent attention. These included action to end violence, end harmful practices and dismantle the structural barriers that prevent women from fully participating in decent employment and decision-making. It also made clear that women’s rights were human rights and needed to be upheld.

Sunday’s meeting saw more than 80 heads of state recommit to achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment as they work towards meeting the sustainable development goals (SDGs) that UN member states adopted on Friday. Goal five calls on countries to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls by 2030.

China will do more to enhance gender equality as its basic state policy Xi Jinping, president of China

The Chinese president, Xi Jinping, pledged $10m for UN Women towards its work in realising the Beijing platform for action, and, over the next five years, said China would launch 100 health projects, support school enrolment for girls and host 30,000 women from poorer countries for skills training.

“China will do more to enhance gender equality as its basic state policy, give play to women’s important role as ‘half the sky’ and support them in realising their own dreams and aspirations in both career and life,” he said.



“The Chinese women, through their own development, will also play a greater part in the global women’s movement and make greater contributions to gender equality in the world.”

The president’s words come at a time when women’s rights activists in China are facing increasing harassment from authorities. Some activists claim they have been ordered by security forces not to publicly commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Beijing agreement. In March, five women’s right activists were arrested over their plans to mark international women’s day.

In his speech to the conference, UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon said civil society, women’s organisations and human rights defenders needed “safe and enabling environments” in which to operate “as they work with us to drive the 2030 agenda forward”.

Four of the G7 leaders attended the event – German chancellor Angela Merkel, French president François Hollande, and the prime ministers of Italy and Japan, Matteo Renzi and Shinzo Abe. The US, UK and Canada did not send their heads of state.

The NGO ActionAid had launched a Twitter campaign and lodged a 60,000 petition calling on Britain’s prime minister, David Cameron, to attend. The UK government has said repeatedly that its work to empower women and girls is at the heart of its development programmes.

The vice-president of South Sudan, James Wani Igga, used his speech to ask the international community to drop its calls for sanctions now a peace deal had been signed to end its civil war. He said the country was now open for business. “We call upon investors to start their work in South Sudan since the environment is conducive to their activities. This … will go some distance to empower our women.”



Michelle Bachelet, the president of Chile and former head of UN Women, stepped up to the podium to cheers and applause. She told delegates of the new bill going through parliament to decriminalise abortion in cases where a woman’s life is at risk, where there are foetal abnormalities, and in cases of rape. “A woman should have the right to decide whether or not she wants to take her pregnancy to term and the state must respect her decision,” she said.

Catherine Samba-Panza, president of the Central African Republic, said women in her country were involved in the peace and reconciliation process. “They are committed, at my side and continue to rise up against the social and cultural norms to guide with me our ship towards transition that continues to be besieged by men and their rush towards power.”

A few blocks from the high-level meeting, civil society groups held a parallel meeting to discuss government commitments to gender equality and hold their leaders to account for their promises. A major criticism of the SDGs has been the absence of structural changes that are required to bring gender equality.