Advertisment

5 Reasons you should gatecrash the Beijing+20 celebrations, and make it count!

You want in? Then get in!

author-image
STP Team
New Update
5 Reasons you should gatecrash the Beijing+20 celebrations, and make it count!

Everyone around the world remembers September 1995 as a game-changing time in the history of the women’s movement. The words “Women’s rights are Human Rights and Human Rights are Women’s Rights” would start reverberating in your minds, as flashes of the 47,000 activist strong Fourth World Conference on Women that had decided enough is enough are rekindle in your memories.

Advertisment

Together, 189 countries had found common resonance in one common path to the future- "gender equality and the empowerment of all women, everywhere," with the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action drafted and signed by all ratifying countries, to set it in stone.

Exactly two decades have elapsed since we took on that gargantuan challenge as a species, and a lot has been achieved, giving us cause to celebrate on its 20th year anniversary. The commemorations are in order, and are painting the world pink! Don't just admire the change from afar, be a part of it. If you haven't found a way to jump into the wagon already- here is what you need to know about the buzz around you and how you can get in!

1. The initiative's slogan is "Picture it!" and 100 per cent equality is the aim:

Advertisment

 

You know how they say dreams are the building blocks of reality? Lakshmi Puri, the deputy executive director of UN Women, explains the tagline. "We want to launch this campaign with all the energy and mobilization that was evident in Beijing 20 years ago. That's why we chose our slogan, 'Picture it!' We want to ask people to envision a world where all women are empowered." And the aim is self explanatory, 100 percent equality everywhere, nothing lesser.

 

2. Coming Soon… In a country near you.

Almost the entire planet has begun celebrating since last year. Some of the countries hosting events include, but are not limited to, Samoa, Finland, South Africa, Argentina, India, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Kenya, Egypt, Liberia, Mozambique and Guatemala. The main event is in March from the 9th to the 20th at New York, at the 59th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, in perfect sync with the occasion that was its eve-  International Women's Day, on March 8, its theme being “Make It Happen"

Advertisment

3. This is what they are fighting for. Are you, too? Join forces.

The agenda is pretty clear cut-  Women and the environment, Women in power and decision-making, The girl child, women and the economy, Women and poverty, Violence against women, Human rights of women, Education and training of women, Institutional mechanisms for the advancement of women, Women and health, Women and the media, Women and armed conflict. Feel strongly for even one of this list that irks everyone entirely?

4. Men, don’t go anywhere. Stay tuned!

Rememeber when that “Harry Potter girl” (as she called herself) delivered a speech that shocked us out of our wits, and rather pleasantly, at that? Emma Watson, flagged off HeForShe, stating the obvious, a logic that has been evading us. We cannot achieve our gola if only 50 percent of the population is invited to help out. And conversely, Gender stereotypes affect men too, hinder men too –and hence, their eradication will liberate men too! In fact, Emma Watson is hosting a Facebook Live event this Sunday.

Advertisment

5. If you’re convinced, you own any piece of technology, you’re a click away from joining:

If geography doesn't permit you to abandon everything and join, don't fret. While the initiative also aims at ensuring that girls have full access to technology like the boys do (that couldn’t be emphasized upon enough at Davos this year), you can help out by using your own technology to ride the wave- namely, social media! Facebook and Twitter are the long due stage that activists have been seeking to engage people in heated debates and fruitful discourse-  and now this has become interchangeable- everyone who takes to social media to plant or reinforce ideas is an activist in their own right! So, be smart about using your smartphone. 40 million people have done so, already!

Also, the newest idea doing the rounds is that we cannot wait another 20 years to see gender equality achieved. So, in that regard, UN Women has launched a #20for20 campaign- at $20 a month, you can do your bit towards securing the future of lesser fortunate girls all over the world.

Featured Image: UN Women

Emma Watson Women Empowerment UN Women Beijing Declaration 1995 Beijing+20
Advertisment