IGP Women’s Initiative and GWL Voices Host Student Roundtable to Present New Beijing+30 Report on Future of Women’s Rights
On September 25, the Institute of Global Politics (IGP) Women’s Initiative convened a student roundtable to discuss its latest report, Beijing+30: A Roadmap for Women’s Rights for the Next Thirty Years. Produced by the IGP Women’s Initiative and GWL Voices, the report commemorates the historic 1995 UN Fourth World Conference on Women, in which 189 countries agreed to an ambitious Platform for Action to advance gender equality globally, and provides an actionable roadmap to implement the Platform over the next thirty years, outlining policy priorities critical to advancing the full and equal participation of women and girls in the twenty-first century.
The roundtable discussion offered students the opportunity to hear about the new report and featured GWL Voices cofounders Susana Malcorra, former foreign minister of Argentina and 2024-25 IGP Carnegie Distinguished Fellow, and Irina Bokova, former director-general of UNESCO. The conversation was moderated by Rachel Vogelstein, director of the IGP Women’s Initiative, head of SIPA’s Human Rights, Gender, and Equity concentration, and associate professor of professional practice.
Malcorra began the conversation with a discussion of the historical significance of the Beijing Conference. She described the 1995 conference as a “high point” for women’s rights. Quoting Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton’s famous proclamation that “women’s rights are human rights,” Malcorra emphasized the Conference’s importance in pushing the women’s movement forward. Bokova expanded on Malcorra’s statements, highlighting the Conference’s key achievements, including improving girls’ educational and social outcomes and connecting women to peace and security efforts.
Despite the Conference’s enduring legacy, Bokova and Malcorra stressed the need to update the Platform for Action’s recommendations to reflect today’s political challenges—particularly democratic backsliding and rapid technological change. “There is a widening digital gap for women in terms of access and skills,” Bokova warned. “When hate speech, bullying, and [gender] stereotypes are replicated in [tech] tools, this directly affects the algorithms we use.” Malcorra echoed this concern, cautioning against complacency among younger generations. “You only realize how important a democracy is when you don’t have it,” she said. “[And] democracy is a precondition for women’s rights.”
During the discussion, Malcorra and Bokova emphasized the importance of framing women’s rights as critical to economic advancement and stressed the need for data-driven arguments to promote the feminist agenda. Looking ahead, Malcorra and Bokova urged attendees to sustain the momentum sparked by the Beijing Conference. As both leaders made clear, the path forward demands sustained effort, investment, and the political will to transform principles into policies that advance gender equality.
Read the new report here.