Kathmandu: United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed has warned that progress toward gender equality is “dangerously off track,” calling on global leaders to renew their commitment to women’s rights and to build a future “where every woman can learn, earn and lead.”
Speaking at the opening of the Global Leaders Meeting on Women in Beijing, marking 30 years since the landmark Beijing Declaration, Mohammed said the world is “running out of time” to deliver on promises made three decades ago.
“Thirty years ago, the world came together and declared that women’s rights are human rights,” she said. “That declaration lit the path to progress for billions but for billions more, that path remains unfinished.”
She emphasized that progress has been “profoundly unequal,” with women and girls still bearing the heaviest burdens of conflict, climate crisis, and inequality. “In every crisis, women and girls bear the heaviest burden. Our urgency and actions must match their reality,” she urged.
Calling for action in four key areas, the Deputy Secretary-General said women’s empowerment “cannot be a side project” but must be central to national visions and policies. “We cannot speak of empowering women while they live in the shadow of violence and constant fear,” she stressed, adding that true empowerment means ensuring access to education, healthcare, decent work, and political participation.
Mohammed also highlighted the need to include women in the green and digital transitions, warning that “no economy can reach its full potential while sidelining half its population.” She cited UN data showing that closing the gender digital divide could lift 30 million people from extreme poverty and add $1.5 trillion to the global economy within five years.
“Women’s leadership is the ultimate litmus test for a prosperous society,” she added. “Where women lead, we see more durable peace, more profitable businesses, and more inclusive policies.”
Commending China for hosting the conference, Mohammed called on world leaders to make Beijing+30 a turning point. “Let us recommit to a future where every woman and girl can learn, earn, and lead,” she said. “Women hold up half the sky, it is time we built a world that supports them in return.”
