UN General Assembly
2020

In specific terms, the world cannot be sustainable, nor can there be sustained growth without the active participation of women at every level. It is now twenty-five years since the Beijing Platform was adopted, and many elements still need to be built on that base. We can no longer tolerate the vulnerabilities endured by women, which have been exacerbated by the pandemic, ranging from the violence they suffer to discrimination in basic rights such as access to health and education. We must use all the means that are necessary to prevent the global disorder caused by COVID-19 from being used to roll back rights. We need to move forward with agendas that are not regressive for women. Now is the time; this is our opportunity to give full meaning to the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the most ambitious plan for the promotion of women’s rights established thus far. And, accordingly, we must take advantage of this moment to rebuild and approach this crisis from a gender perspective whereby all women and girls can exercise their freedoms, realize their rights and participate in decision-making.