Until gender equality is our shared reality and shared reward, we will not stop.

– Sima Bahous, UN Under-Secretary General and UN Women Executive Director

When women participate in negotiations, peace lasts longer. When girls can go to school, entire generations lift out of poverty. When women enjoy equal job opportunities, economies grow stronger. And, with parity in political leadership, decisions are fairer, policies are sharper and societies are more just.

– António Guterres, UN Secretary-General

When women are at the table, companies perform better, peace treaties last longer, and governments deliver more. Their presence is power.

– H.E. Annalena Baerbock, President of the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly (PGA80)

In every region, every country, every community, women and girls are fighting for their rights. Demanding freedoms. Combatting abusive practices. Rallying for legal protections. And organising – to take their rightful place at the table in decision-making and peace processes. The United Nations stands with these efforts. All leaders should do the same.

– H.E. António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations

The Fourth World Conference on Women has been a catalyst for tremendous change from advancing legal reforms to expanding social services, from empowering women to enhancing their participation, countries have made notable strides towards gender equality

– Ms. Huang Xiaowei, Representative of the People’s Republic of China (Host of the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing)

Let history remember 2025 as the year we stood our ground for ceasefires, for peace, for sustainable development, for justice, for rights, and for prosperity for all women, for all girls - for humanity.

– H.E. Sima Bahous, Under-Secretary-General of the UN and Executive Director of UN Women

Progress has been made but it is fragile; too many women and girls are still denied safety and opportunity. Millions of youth and marginalized people do not have their most basic needs met.

– Diene Keita, Under-Secretary-General of the UN and Executive Director of UNFPA

Gender equality is not a favor, it is not optional, it is justice, peace, progress for all humanity.

– Nahla Haidar, Chair, Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)

We must also confront the reality that, alongside progress and - perhaps, in response to it - a troubling wave of backlash threatens women’s and girls’ rights worldwide.

– Claudia Flores, UN Working Group on Discrimination against Women and Girls

We must affirm women’s inherent dignity and humanity. Women are half of humanity. Yet these words have all but vanished from our policy language. When dignity and humanity are set aside, we lose the very foundation on which equality stands.

– Ms. Reem Alsalem, UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women and Girls

It is possible to obtain concrete, positive results on gender quality. What we need is leadership that fosters reforms and truly invests in the fight for equality.

– Ms. Cecilia Suárez, actress and women’s rights advocate

Civil society is not the enemy of the State. We are co-creators of development, guardians of democracy, and architects of liberation. The backlash we face is not just against gender equality it is against truth, against freedom, against the very principles upon which this institution was founded.

– Ms. Memory Kachambwa, Executive Director, FEMNET, representing civil society

We are at a dangerous crossroads, democracy is weakening, extremism is rising, women’s rights under attack. Nowhere is this more visible than in conflict affected areas.

– Ms. Nadia Murad, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Yazidi human rights activist, representing young women leaders

Advancing gender equality means progress in achieving sustainable development for all – working as equals, living as equals — as women and men, we are better together.

– H.E Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, President of Suriname

The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action] remains our collective compass to achieve gender equality - because gender equality is not an option, it is a catalyst for development.

– H.E Viola Amherd, President of Switzerland

Our progress in the area of political inclusion and legal frame is grounded in this [The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action] and underpinned our deep commitment to achieve the empowerment of women.

– H.E Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, President of Namibia

There are still structural gaps that are limiting the development of women and girls.

– H.E Dina Boluarte, President of Peru

The issue has never been about merit. There are plenty of smart and capable women. What is lacking is the will to open doors.

– H.E Nataša Pirc Musar, President of Slovenia

We need to have men talking about this topic too. I would like to reaffirm our commitment to the women of Mozambique.

– H.E Filipe Nyusi, President of Mozambique

Gender equality is not a women’s issue. It is a matter of democracy, justice and prosperity

– H.E Petr Pavel, President of Czechia

We must continue to ensure the full recognition and realization of rights for all women and girls. When women prosper, nations prosper.

– H.E Hilda Heine, President of the Marshall Islands

Three decades on we must admit— progress has been uneven, fragile, and too often reversible.

– H.E Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, President of North Macedonia

This meeting must serve as a turning point. Moving beyond the rhetoric to action, we must mobilize adequate financial resources, reinforce accountability frameworks and invest in measurable and transformative actions.

– H.E Bajram Begaj, President of Albania

Civil society, women leaders, young people and men allies play a key role in building a world that is more just, with greater solidarity and greater equality.

– His Royal Highness Prince Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco

It's time for us to take stock of the progress that has been made since the historic meeting conference in 1995, as well as the continued challenges when it comes to promoting gender equality around the world.

– H.E Azali Assoumani, President of Comoros

The commitment to gender equality and the rights of women means that we need to fight poverty, to guarantee women's access to economic resources, to education, to health care, as well as to enhance women's participation in decision making.

– H.E Bassirou Diomaye Faye, President of Senegal

We hold the conviction that equality is not just a moral requirement. But also, a condition for peace, justice and sustainable development.

– H.E Faustin-Archange Touadéra, President of the Central African Republic

When women are empowered and supported, entire nations thrive.

– H.E Joseph Boakai, President of Liberia

We reaffirm our unweaving commitment to the full implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Let us recommit to the 1995 declaration, let us engage with men and boys, let us act with urgency and unity.

– H.E Jessica Alupo, Vice President of Uganda

The burden is on all our shoulders to push for equality and change the norms across societies. So all children feel equal growing up and get. Equal opportunities, regardless of gender

– H.E Kristrún Frostadóttir, Prime Minister of Iceland

We celebrate the gains that have been achieved, but we must also acknowledge that in many places, progress has stalled; that women continue to be poor disproportionate to men. That they continue to bear the burden of family and childcare. And that they're the most affected by climate change.

– H.E Simon Harris, Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland

Women comprise more than half of the world’s population. Their role is unparallel in these unprecedent time, they hold the fort in times of peace and conflict, in times of drought and downpour. Therefore, the promise of empowerment and equality should not be a debate.

– H.E Sitiveni Rabuka, Prime Minister of Fiji

The Beijing Declaration was a bold one. Ambitious and transformative. Since then, we have seen undeniable progress. This progress has not come by itself. It reflects choices that have been made and struggles that have been fought. Rights that have we fought for.

– H.E Jonas Gahr Støre, Prime Minister of Norway

We know that Pacific women are not just shaping change. They are delivering it.

– H.E Jeremiah Manele, Prime Minister of Solomon Islands

Resilience must never be mistaken for consent to injustice

– H.E Feleti Teo, Prime Minister of Tuvalu

No nation can reach its full potential when half of its people are held back

– H.E Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda

As we gather for the 80th anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly, we stand at a crossroads. An opportunity to renew our commitments and responsibility to act more boldly than ever on gender equality.

– H.E Luc Frieden, Prime Minister of Luxembourg

There is a clear risk that in these difficult and troubled times that the question of equality for all will be cast aside and possibly even deliberately removed from the agenda. For this reason, Belgium cannot allow for progress- which has been achieved over the past three decades -to evaporate.

– Her Majesty Queen Mathilde of Belgium

Despite strong evidence of the contribution that women made at various stages and levels to resolve conflict, exclusion rather than inclusion has remained the norm in formal peace processes. This undermines the sustainability of peace. It also deprives societies of perspectives and solutions that are vital for recovery and peace.

– H.E Sabine Monauni, Deputy Prime Minister of Liechtenstein

Let us act with urgency, courage and solidarity so that every woman and girl can live free from poverty and violence and be empowered to lead and contribute to inclusive development.

– H.E Ishaq Dar, Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan

Converting discriminatory policies and practices, fighting the ever-increasing violence against women and girls as well as challenging the deeply rooted stereotypes are not just our obligations under international human rights law, it is the essence of a good governance and the foundation for sustainable and inclusive development.

– H.E Ervin Ibrahimović, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro

Rising violence [is] pushing millions of women further behind. In the past two years, global conflict has soared to its highest level in three decades. Of all the challenges facing women today, this surge is by far the most destructive

– Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan

We have learned that you must call a spade a spade. A system that turns its back to 50% of its population cannot be called democratic.

– H.E. Pedro Sánchez, Prime Minister of Spain

Women, my friends, truly make life richer from the home to the halls of justice and indeed to this House that we call the United Nations.

– H.E. Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados