►►Thirty years after the landmark Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, Uruguayan teacher and journalist Lucy Garrido still recalls the sense of uncertainty that came with traveling to China in 1995 — and the inspiration she brought home.
MONTEVIDEO-« Many of us feared we would lack necessities or food, » Garrido said in a recent interview. « But in China, we found everything we needed. We were treated in an exemplary manner. »
The United Nations conference, hosted by China, gathered tens of thousands of delegates from around the world to discuss equality, development and peace. Garrido, who served as a communication coordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean during a forum in the lead-up to the conference, said it helped shape international understanding of women’s rights for decades to come.
« When people, countries get to know each other, they go away with something that is unshakable — a kind of solidarity and affection that arises between people, » she said.
The Beijing Platform for Action, adopted at the conference, set out 12 key areas, along with goals and strategies to promote gender equality. Garrido said it became a lasting reference point for policymakers, activists and courts.
« It gave women around the world a floor, not a ceiling, a platform to inspire even more, » she said. « It was such an important political tool that we still use it today. There are court rulings and judgments where judges use the 1995 platform. »
The conference’s influence, Garrido said, extended beyond governments and international organizations. When she returned to Uruguay, she was struck by how people from all walks of life felt connected to its outcomes.
Garrido said the Beijing conference was also an example of cooperation and compromise among countries that didn’t always share the same priorities.
« Now that the United Nations is being called into question, this is proof of how useful and important multilateralism is, » she said. « That conference was an example of it. »
She still remembers one of the slogans from 1995: « Now is the time for women because the next millennium is ours. »
« I think that came true, » she said.
Looking ahead to the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women China plans to host, Garrido said she hopes it will continue to strengthen international cooperation and expand the original platform for action.
« China is playing a role that is very useful to all of us, especially those who believe in multilateralism and in reducing global tensions, » she said. « You can’t talk about humanity if you don’t talk about half of humanity and if you don’t respect diversity. »
By Xinhua
