By Morenike Taire, Funmi Ajumobi & Ebunoluwa  Sessou 

Between the 4th and 15th September, 1995, women from all over the world converged on the now historic city of Beijing, China for what has become the Beijing Conference. The Beijing conference built on political agreements reached at the three previous global conferences on women, and consolidated five decades of legal advances aimed at securing the equality of women with men in law as well as in practice.

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The declaration 

The convention released a 38- point declaration bordering on a Platform for Action, calling for commitment on the part of governments, international organisations and institutions at all levels; economic development, social development and environmental protection as mutually reinforcing components of sustainable development,  higher quality of life, equitable social development particularly for women living in poverty, as well as environmental sustainability.

It was a precursor to the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs as well as the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs.

Nigeria and Beijing 

In the year leading to the conference proper, the excitement in Nigeria and much of West Africa was palpable. Nigerian women participated fully and came back with a bang to change Nigerian gender relations forever, in favour of women.  Similarly, another generation of Nigerian women are currently storming the United Nations Headquarters in New York, for the Commission for the Status of Women, 2025.

2025

Another generation of the world’s women, 30 years down the line, are gathering  in different parts of the world to celebrate the generations before them who taught them how to force the world to pay attention to gender equality and women empowerment. 

Wife of former Nigerian head of state, the late General Sani Abacha led Nigerian women to Beijing in 1995 and was appointed as one of the conference Vice- Presidents by the UN.

Vanguard caught up with other participants, now septugenerians, as well as others who participated from the sidelines. 

Beijing has not worked for us — Beatrice Obiageli Ubeku, MFR., Chairperson, West African Women Association

Memories of the trip

My artwork, designed by me was a historical success for the country and attracted CNN, BBC and so forth. I courageously represented our very esteemed 1st Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria team on behalf of the delegates of the Nigerian Government/National Council of Women Societies, NCWS, Nigerian NGOS and CBOS.

Nigeria twinned together with other countries to the Great Wall of China for the PEACE MISSION For African Women during the 4th World Women International Conference, Beijing’95, China. Also, meetings of various women representatives held, showcasing activities at the conference hall, local level for all participants in Hauriloru.

The Great Wall had hotel accommodation for attendees of various countries, women group delegations, while the government delegations were at the Captil China International Conference Center.

Where we are now? The affirmative positive action we brought from Beijing 1995 has not worked for us.

All the women after Beijing ’95 who were in the National Assembly and government after then, the positive position given to us was zero. Women have not gone anywhere. The few women who were there were quiet and were not talking. 

The new ones there have various accusations, and you can see how the women are being disgraced in the National Assembly. That’s not fair.

Cooperation, commitments are key

All I can say is, for us to be committed and work together as a team.

We have various opinions, and we don’t know that leadership is for everyone.

Networking, commitment and open leadership will bring more women into play but if you say you are a woman and you are in charge but you are there by yourself, other women can’t be there. The men have taken us for granted because they know that we are not together.

This is an opportunity for us to change our styles of getting ourselves to work together as a team, committed to increasing the leadership of women in the Nigerian government and in society.

 Women’s rights accepted as human rights —Dame Marie Fatayi-Williams, President, Cosmopolitan Women Club of Lagos

 The Beijing women’s conference 30 years ago can be classified as ground-breaking in terms of the coming together  of women from all strata of society and from all parts of the world under the one Platform for Action. 

It has been termed the “most progressive blueprint for women and girls’ rights worldwide”.

The ensuing declaration and Critical Areas of Concern, I believe was meant to be the one stop shop for all that affects the progress and development of women and girls socio-economically, politically, legally, culturally and otherwise. Women’s Rights were finally adopted as Human Rights whilst Gender Equality and affirmative action of 35% at least of women in decision-making positions was to be domesticated. The Girl-Child education and rights campaign against early marriage and Gender-Based violence were all critical focal areas amongst others. 

Just before Beijing, Nigeria’s former First Lady of blessed memory, Mrs Maryam Babangida was able to establish a Women’s Commission, a great first step to the upliftment of the status of Nigerian women. By the time Nigeria went for the Beijing conference, it was under a newly created Ministry of Women Affairs under the then First Lady, Mrs Mariam Abacha. On return from Beijing and the years following, there was a Women’s Ministry in every state of the country such that in one fell swoop, women were assured of a Commissioner of Women Affairs position (30) as well as a Minister of Women Affairs.

This was an unprecedented development that seemed to border on accelerated action. Grassroots development as regards cooperatives for women and women development centres sprung up everywhere as did development pet projects of First Ladies for empowerment. Women NGOs and women everywhere were rearing to go forward to break the glass ceiling. But then, you can ask the question in the work places, board rooms, socio-culturally and thereafter politically, was there and has there been real and sustained action? Has there been constitutional provisions and legal provisions domesticating these? Are women’s rights now human rights?

35% Affirmative Action 

 Whither 35 per cent affirmative action and Gender Equality? Is Violence against women now rebranded GBV/ SBV on the decline and are perpetrators brought to book? What about girl-child marriages and female genital infibulations, stereotypes and negative cultural norms/practices targetted against women? Is the political space gender-friendly enough to have a female vice- president talk less of a female president in a country whose population supposedly has women in the majority? 

Other countries in the Global North have achieved most of the goals and targets of the Beijing conference and now a couple of African countries have female presidents and attained gender parity. Politically, the showing of women both in elected and appointed positions is clearly on the decline with just four women Senators in the 10th Assembly out of 109 members. Political party leadership is male- dominated while women must be content with the lesser mortals’ positions. 

Time for stock taking

Yes, 30 years post-Beijing, worldwide, women have come a long way, many barriers and glass ceilings have been pulled down and broken respectively. But is it yet uhuru for women? Far from it! 

It’s now time for stock-taking and for a renewed hope for accelerated action on all fronts of the platform of the Gender Agenda.

Words matter, deeds are what create change — Felicia Agubata, VP, NSE

 Beijing conference in 1995 was a historic milestone for gender equality, committing governments  all over the world  to remove barriers to the realisation of women’s human rights. Regardless, it is sad to observe that decades later, discrimination in the law and practice still persists and progress is still stalling. 

As we mark Beijing 30 years after, there are issues worthy of note:

The Beijing Platform for Action was a bold global commitment to gender equality. 

Words matter, but deeds are what create change. 

The global backlash against women’s rights is growing.

The United Nations and Civil Society groups must amplify the pressure to ensure gender equality and all women should be part of the solution .

The Beijing Declaration set a bold vision for gender equity but 30 years later, that vision is still a work in progress . 

In other words , we are not yet where we want to be but we are no longer where we used to be.

 Parliament holds the ace — Ejiro Otive-Igbuzor, Gender Equality and M&E Expert

30 years later

Nigeria has produced a Beijing plus 30 report, looking at Nigeria’s progress in the twelve critical areas of concern.

13 states with no woman in Parliament

National Assembly is reconsidering the Reserved Seat Bill that would bring more women into parliament. This would correct more than 100 years of advocacy.

There are 13 states in Nigeria with no single woman in the parliament: Abia in South-East, Osun , Kano, Kebbi and others. It is also not because women are not qualified. Many women I have worked with in the UN are now their country representatives, and how about our Nigerian women like Hajia Amina Mohammed, who is the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations? Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is making waves in the World Trade Organisation. If she had contested in her state for governorship, she wouldn’t have won just because she is a woman.

Fewer women in Senate 

Overall, we can say some progress has been made, but in some areas, significant gaps remain. There is still a lot to do and Parliament holds the ace. Unfortunately, more than 100 years of advocacy, we are moving back from where we were. In the 9th Assembly. 

We had eight women in the Senate, and now we have four women minus Natasha in the next six months. We need to wake up and smell the coffee.

 And I pray that the reserved seats will pass in the National Assembly to make room for women and to do this it’s not that they are dashing women the seats. They shouldn’t see it as doing a favour to women. It is compensation for the long years of marginalisation. 

This is something that will benefit the entire family, society. 

Vanguard News