The Forum, organized by the ODEE and the Department of Equality and Feminism, brought together more than thirty prominent voices to analyze advances in gender equality and establish future challenges in the face of the threat of regression of rights.
On September 18, Barcelona's Llotja de Mar became the epicenter of the international feminist debate with the Beijing+30 Forum. A look towards the future in gender equality. The meeting aimed to take stock of the thirty years that have passed since the IV World Conference on Women, held in 1995 in Beijing, and lay the foundations for facing current and future challenges. With a critical and proactive perspective, the event seeked to define strategic lines that guarantee that the progress achieved does not regress in a global context marked by the growth of discourses opposed to equality.
Organization and participants
The forum was organized by the Women, Business and Economy Observatory (ODEE) of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce and the Department of Equality and Feminism of the Generalitat de Catalunya , and brought together more than thirty prominent voices from the political, social, academic, economic and sports fields. Among the speakers were figures such as Cristina Gallach , former UN Deputy Secretary-General and president of the forum's organizing committee; Carmen Calvo , president of the Council of State; Leire Pajín , socialist MEP; journalist Gemma Nierga , and athlete Ona Carbonell , Olympic medalist and president of the Maternity and Sports Commission of the Spanish Olympic Committee. The meeting was intended as a space to share experiences, reflect on the progress achieved and outline new strategies that place equality at the center of public debate.
Areas of debate and future challenges
The forum's program was structured into thematic blocks that addressed the main challenges in gender issues . The risk of regression of rights achieved in the face of the advance of far-right movements were discussed and the need to guarantee women's economic independence was put on the table, with a prominent role for companies with purpose and female leadership. It also reflected on the inclusion of the gender perspective in new technologies and the impact of artificial intelligence, a field where significant gaps still exist. In addition, issues related to education as a tool for cultural change , the representation of women in the media and social networks, and sport as a space for social transformation and visibility of female role models were debated.
The forum was opened by Anna Mercadé , honorary president of the ODEE, and Sònia Guerra , general secretary of Equality and Feminism and president of the Catalan Women's Institute. Mercadé warned that "now more than ever we need to be alert to avoid a regression of rights", while Guerra stressed that "the Beijing+30 Forum will mark the roadmap for feminism in the coming years". Among the presentations, there were also voices that participated in the Beijing conference, such as Marina Subirats , who represented the European Union and who will provide direct testimony of that milestone. For her part, Cristina Gallach has adopted a more critical tone by stating that "thirty years after the world women's congress in Beijing, no country has achieved the established objectives", highlighting the need to take firm and decisive steps in the face of current stagnation and threats.
Objective: establish the feminist roadmap
The Beijing+30 Forum aimed to be more than just a day of reflection. The organizers hope that the conclusions will become a strategic guide that will guide public policies and civil society actions in the coming years. With this objective, the meeting combined analysis of current risks with the definition of concrete measures to strengthen equality as a transversal axis of any social and political change. The forum wants to make it clear that the progress achieved cannot be taken for granted and that the collective response to attempts at regression will be key to the future of feminism.
Add new comment