The year 2025 marked three decades since the historic United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, which took place in Beijing in 1995. The conference had produced the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a landmark framework that reshaped the global agenda on gender equality and women’s rights. Africa’s leadership during that defining moment had been both visionary and bold. Honorable Gertrude Mongella of Tanzania, who served as Secretary-General of the conference, described it as the beginning of “a social, political, and economic revolution with no going back.”

To reignite that original spirit and assess how far the continent had come, the Beijing+30 Advocacy Group joined hands with the Pan-African Parliament for a sitting under the theme “Commemorating 30 Years of the Beijing Platform for Action: Accelerating Gender Equality in Africa.” The gathering took place on the 6th of  November 2025 at the Pan-African Parliament in Midrand, South Africa. It brought together over 200 African women leaders, government officials, and global representatives to reflect on key issues such as gender-based violence, constitutional reforms and women’s economic empowerment. Joining us on the line is Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, Chair and Convenor of Beijing +30 Advocacy Group.