This paper demonstrates that, notwithstanding some advances since the Beijing World Conference on Women adopted an ambitious plan of action towards gender equality fifteen years ago, and in the thirty one years since the adoption of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the UN member States still have not fully implemented their commitments to gender equity as an essential condition for sustainable economic and social development.

 

Also, the evolution of the gender statistical indicators, along with the narratives included in this publication, prove that that there is an evident gap between gender legislation and its implementation of actual policies.

The needs of women and girls today go beyond advancing the Beijing Platform and implementing CEDAW to including a call for sustainable development that places human well being at the core of policy making. Regional fora such as the Asia Pacific NGO Forum –included here– point out to the need for sub-regional economic integration processes and national development plans that rest on the principles and practices of ecological sustainability, food sovereignty, financial inclusion, universal social protection, economic solidarity and fair trade.