Intergenerational Dialogue on Beijing +30: For all women and girls - rights, equality, empowerment

[Video message]

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

I am very pleased to send you a message for this dialogue.

The 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action is a landmark document for gender equality and women’s empowerment.

It has shaped policies, legislation, and activism worldwide and remains a guiding force for achieving gender justice.

In the realm of trade, the Beijing Declaration was also a milestone.

It acknowledged both the opportunities and challenges that globalization brought for women, recognizing disparities in wages, job security and market access.

It urged governments to assess the gender impact of trade policies — a call that remains relevant today.

Over the past three decades, we have made progress in the women and trade nexus in four different areas.

First, directly in the inclusion of gender provisions and even dedicated chapters in several trade agreements – for example in Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil and Ecuador. And there has been also a stronger multilateral engagement – for example in the 2017 MC11 meeting with the WTO Joint Declaration on Trade and Women’s Economic Empowerment.

Second, on policy design to eliminate obstacles and enhance women’s capacity to participate in the international trade system.

Third, there are many more programs and initiatives to support women-owned businesses in international trade. For example, UNCTAD’s initiative on eTrade to support women digital entrepreneurs.

Fourth, there is a growing body of analytical work that has deepened our understanding of women’s challenges and opportunities in global markets.

Now, despite these achievements, challenges persist.

Policy implementation gaps remain, and trade’s impact on women’s multiple economic roles is still not fully understood. Gender-disaggregated trade data are insufficient, limiting our ability to track progress.

Many free trade agreements include gender provisions, but these are often non-binding or lack enforcement mechanisms.

Additionally, women remain underrepresented in global value chains and high-productivity sectors.

Short-term training programs help, but without continued mentorship, access to finance, and market linkages, women struggle to fully integrate into international trade.

To address these challenges, we must remove barriers that prevent women from benefiting equally from trade.

This includes enhancing their access to resources, networks, and education to expand and ensure effective implementation of the free trade agreements.

As new dynamics emerge, we must remain vigilant to prevent setbacks in gender equality.

Thirty years ago, the Beijing Declaration set a vision for women’s empowerment. Today, the work continues.

At UNCTAD, we reaffirm our commitment to the Beijing Platform of Action and to fight all discriminatory rules and norms that prevent women from striving for inclusive trade and development.

Thank you.