Director-General's remarks at the Opening of the plenary meeting “One Shared Future: New and Accelerated Process for Women’s All-Round Development”

Opening of the plenary meeting “One Shared Future:
New and Accelerated Process for Women’s All-Round Development”
Monday, 13 October 2025
Beijing, China
 

Excellencies, 
Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a great honour to address this plenary meeting. I wish to extend my sincere gratitude to the Government of the People’s Republic of China for convening this timely and important gathering. I warmly welcome the recent release of your White Paper on Advancement of Women’s Development which reflects China’s continued commitment to promoting women’s rights and fostering inclusive development across all socio-economic sectors, as well as global gender equality.

This year marks two historic milestones: the 30^th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and the 80^th anniversary of the United Nations. Together, they offer a strategic opportunity to take stock of progress achieved and mobilize renewed global efforts toward gender equality.

Thirty years ago, world leaders affirmed in this city that the rights of women and girls are not separate, secondary, or negotiable — they are human rights. Since then, progress have been significant. Legal reforms, institutional developments, and social movements have expanded opportunities for women in political, economic, and public life. Today, women play increasingly prominent roles in international diplomacy, building startups, and pioneering technological solutions.

This commitment to gender equality is deeply embedded within the UN. Thanks to our System-wide Strategy on Gender Parity, we now have the highest number of women serving as Heads and Deputy Heads of Mission in peace operations in history. Gender parity has also been achieved among senior managers appointed by the Secretary-General, as well as among Resident Coordinators.[1] Geneva is no exception: my Office achieved gender parity across all professional staff levels two years ago, surpassing the Secretariat’s target by six years. Beyond that, over half of UN entities and international organizations based in Geneva are now headed by women, many for the first time. These milestones demonstrate that institutional transformation is both possible and essential to advancing equality. 

As the UN entity leading on gender equality and the empowerment of women, UN Women plays a pivotal role in driving global progress. Yet, the entire UN system is mobilized around this agenda — from peacekeeping and humanitarian operations to climate action, economic development, and human rights — ensuring that gender equality is treated as a cross-cutting principle that strengthens every aspect of our collective work.

 In Geneva, the birthplace of the International Gender Champions initiative, the ongoing exhibition “Not A Woman’s Job?” highlights women breaking barriers in sectors historically dominated by men, including diplomacy, sports, and STEM disciplines. Over the past three years, my Office also supported the “17 Faces of Action” international project, celebrating women’s meaningful contributions to advancing the SDGs at the national level.

Despite these advances, full gender equality remains elusive for far too many, and we are witnessing setbacks in many regions. Women continue to shoulder disproportionate unpaid care work and face barriers to land ownership, financial inclusion, and decent employment. Conflict, displacement, climate change, and the digital divide further compound these inequalities.

The UN Women’s Gender Snapshot 2025 warns that, without urgent action, 351 million women and girls could live in extreme poverty by 2030. Yet, there is hope: investing in just one action — closing the gender digital divide alone — could benefit over 340 million women and girls, lift 30 million out of poverty, and boost global GDP by USD 1.5 trillion.

Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen, 

As Secretary-General António Guterres has reminded us, achieving gender equality is the unfinished business of our time. The moment to act is now — to empower women and girls to build thriving, successful and healthy societies for themselves, their families and their communities.  Let us seize this opportunity to ensure gender equality becomes a lived reality for all. 

Thank you.