Benchmarks for success of the Beijing+25 process

Global feminist civil society organisations has come together and agreed upon minimum requirements and non-derogable principles that we believe should be met in order for the Beijing+25 process, including the Generation Equality Forum. These principles are vital to achieve our stated goal for genuine feminist convening with meaningful participation of, and clear, progressive direction for, the future of the feminist movement.

Non-derogable principles

  • Clear and consistent feminist leadership
  • Nothing about us without us
  • Intersectionality is key – the Generation Equality Forums must put at heart the recognition of our complex lives, where diverse structural discriminations interlinks with each other, impacting us. The forum must ensure that we are not trading or prioritising certain rights over others, whether it is issues related to social, gender, ecological, economic, redistributive, racial, reproductive and sexual justice.
  • Local-to-global linkages – the Beijing+25 process must have clearly defined terms of reference that outline terms for participation and show how links will be made between national processes, the intergovernmental regional processes and the Forum at the global level.

The two Generation Equality Forums will be organised by the United Nations and the hosting countries France and Mexico, jointly with civil society and other stakeholders. For the organisation of the Forums to be inclusive and successful:

Feminists calling for

  • Access and inclusion
  • Transparency and equity in decision-making
  • Equitable representation
  • Spotlight on women’s rights champions : governmental and private sector leaders that fail to uphold the feminist ideals laid out since the Beijing conference have no place at the forum
  • States that have not ratified CEDAW shall not have speaking slots
  • States should be requested to reaffirm, and implement, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and other women’s human rights standards
  • Governments should commit to feminist policy frameworks, that include aid, trade, defense and diplomacy and a significant increase of national budgets for gender justice and women’s human rights and organizations 
  • Corporations should commit to adhere to the standards articulated by the UN Principles on Business and Human Rights

“As a matter of principle and recognizing the seriousness of the climate crisis, and in the spirit of intersectional feminism, no participation is permitted by fossil fuel and mining companies, their subsidiaries or their parent companies.”

WECF international, WECF Netherlands and WECF Germany have signed and endorse the benchmarks. WECF France has proposed to strengthen wording on: 1) Women survivors of prostitution/human trafficking; 2) The need to understand that the listing of discriminated groups should not be seen as exclusive; 3) A clarification that we call for implementation of the UN principles on business and human rights, including for all members of the UN global compact.


We are mobilising

Civil society for the Beijing+25 regional forums in Geneva in October 2019

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