The long road to equality: taking stock of the situation of women and girls in the Asia and the Pacific for Beijing+25 a synthesis report

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United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

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UN

Addressing gender inequality is fundamental for achieving a prosperous, inclusive and sustainable future for all. The year 2020 marks a series of converging global milestones; the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the 20th anniversary of the UN Security Council resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security and the 5-year milestone of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, all together offering the opportunity to take stock of progress and persisting challenges and to identify and accelerate actions that can make gender equality and the empowerment of women a reality for all women and girls in the Asia-Pacific region. Within this context, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) conducted a study of the progress made and gaps that remain in implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. This synthesis report is the result of the analytical review, drawing from the national review reports of ESCAP members and associate members on Beijing+25 review, SDG data, as well as other secondary literature. The findings suggest that the Asia-Pacific region has made good progress in the empowerment of women and girls over the last 25 years, but much work remains. Further, progress made is currently threatened by the COVID-19 pandemic - a pandemic with gendered effects that are in large part attributable to the social and economic inequalities women have long faced. As such, there is a critical need for concerted collective, collaborative and resourced action to empower all women and girls in Asia and the Pacific