Photo courtesy of UNHCR
Thirty years ago, leaders from 189 countries convened at the UN’s Fourth World Conference on Women, marking a historic milestone in the global fight for gender equality. The conference resulted in the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a visionary framework aimed at ensuring women’s rights and equal opportunities while holding governments accountable for discriminatory laws.
Since 1995, significant strides have been made in reducing female poverty, closing the gender gap in education and implementing legal reforms to protect women’s rights. According to the UN’s latest Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda snapshot, these advancements reflect the impact of international commitments to gender equality. However, despite these achievements, persistent challenges continue to hinder progress.
Challenges in gender equality include child marriage – one in five girls worldwide is still married before the age of 18; gender-based violence – one in three women experiences physical or sexual violence, primarily by an intimate partner; and femicide – on average, 140 women and girls are killed every day by a family member.
The Beijing Platform for Action identified 12 critical areas for achieving gender equality yet the landscape has evolved significantly over three decades. The rise of digital technology and online spaces has introduced new dimensions to both progress and challenges in gender equality.
Technology and gender-based violence
Digital platforms have become both a tool for empowerment and a space for harassment.
- 85% of women worldwide have witnessed or experienced online violence
- Only 1 in 4 women report online abuse to the platforms where it occurs
- Cyber-harassment, hate speech, hacking and stalking affect a significant proportion of women online
Moreover, emerging threats such as AI driven harassment and technology facilitated gender-based violence disproportionately impact women activists, journalists and leaders, limiting their ability to engage in public discourse.
The gendered impact of climate change
Climate change has exacerbated gender disparities, including increased gender-based violence:
- 41% of female climate scientists report being less likely to post on social media due to online abuse
- 33% are less likely to contribute to media discussions and 27% avoid public speaking engagements on climate issues
- Research across South Asia shows that a 1°C increase in temperature correlates with a 4.5% rise in domestic violence
Women’s rights in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has made progress in advancing women’s rights, particularly in education and political representation. However challenges persist, particularly regarding legal protections and social norms. One of the most debated legal frameworks is the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA), which has long been criticised for its discriminatory provisions against women.
- The MMDA allows child marriage as there is no minimum legal age for Muslim girls, exposing them to forced and early marriages
- Women are excluded from serving as quazis (judges) in Muslim marriage and divorce cases, limiting their role in legal decision making
- The law does not require a woman’s consent for marriage, undermining her autonomy and rights
After years of advocacy, the government has taken steps to reform the MMDA but full implementation of gender equitable changes remains a challenge. Beyond the MMDA, women continue to face gender-based violence, workplace discrimination and underrepresentation in political leadership.
Recent CEDAW review of Sri Lanka
The latest review of Sri Lanka by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) highlighted significant concerns regarding gender-based violence, discriminatory laws and women’s economic empowerment. The committee urged Sri Lanka to:
- Expedite the full reform of the MMDA to ensure gender equality in marriage and divorce laws
- Strengthen protections against gender-based violence, including better enforcement of existing laws and increased support for survivors
- Address women’s underrepresentation in politics and decision making roles through legislative quotas and capacity building initiatives
- Improve access to sexual and reproductive health services, particularly for marginalised and rural women
The recommendations from CEDAW emphasise the need for Sri Lanka to accelerate its commitments under the Beijing Platform for Action and other international agreements on women’s rights.
While the Beijing Platform for Action was groundbreaking, it did not fully address issues such as disarmament, environmental sustainability and the evolving role of media. At the time of its adoption seven UN member states still denied women equal voting rights, women held only 11.3% of parliamentary seats globally and no women were CEOs of Fortune 500 companies.
A call for continued action
Despite the progress achieved in the last three decades, gender equality remains an unfinished struggle. The evolving challenges, including digital violence, climate related gender disparities and systemic discrimination, demand renewed global commitment, legal protections and structural reforms.
The Beijing Declaration set a crucial precedent but its vision can only be realised through sustained advocacy and accountability. As the world marks this milestone, it is clear that gender equality is not merely an aspiration but a continuous movement requiring vigilance, adaptation and unwavering action. The fight continues.