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The UN World Conferences on Women
These four global convenings—from 1975 to 1995—marked the first time in history that governments and feminist activists from around the world came together to advance the rights of women. We can still learn from their experiences, and be inspired by their energy, today.
“The time has come for women to receive their rightful place in all societies and be recognized once and for all, that they are no more guests on this planet. This planet belongs to them too.”
—Gertrude Mongella, Secretary-General,
Fourth World Conference on Women
Before Mexico City
The UN World Conferences on Women didn’t emerge from a vacuum. Powerful changes in the world—independence from colonialism, civil rights and labor movements, and the rise of a new wave of women’s activism—helped set the stage.
Mexico City, 1975
The first UN World Conference on Women—held during the UN-declared International Women’s Year—brought together individuals from 133 countries and thousands of activists. It’s been called the “greatest consciousness-raising event in history” and marked the first time the world’s women had ever gathered to advance their rights.
Copenhagen, 1980
At the midpoint of the UN Decade for Women, the conference in Copenhagen was marked by geopolitical tensions, but advanced feminist research and strengthened networks. It was also the site of a significant human rights advance for women, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
Nairobi, 1985
Designed to cap off the Decade for Women, the largest UN conference on women up to that point “brought the global women’s movement to Africa and African girls and women to the movement.” It is known as “the birthplace of global feminism.”
Early 1990s
Across the early 1990s, feminists reshaped global debates and intergovernmental negotiations—securing victories related to women’s environmental leadership, violence against women, reproductive rights, and gender equality at major UN conferences in Rio de Janeiro, Vienna, and Cairo.
Beijing, 1995
The Beijing Conference marked a turning point for global feminism, producing the landmark Platform for Action—recognizing “women’s rights as human rights,” and setting a bold agenda for the rights of half the world’s population.
After Beijing
Beijing was the last UN World Conference on Women. But feminist movements have persisted across the decades, despite facing backlash. New generations of fierce organizers are leading the way.
What’s next
“We do not have to romanticize our past to be aware of how it seeds our present.”
—Audre Lorde
From Sister Outsider: Essays & Speeches, Berkeley: The Crossing Press Feminist Series, pp 134-144. copyright (c) 1984, 2007 by Audre Lorde.
Published by Penguin Random House, New York.