What We DoIssuesGirls and WomenWhere the Future Was Built: The Story of the UN World Conferences on Women
In 1975, leaders from around the world converged on Mexico City for the first-ever UN World Conference on Women. The historic story of that conference and the conferences that followed — in Copenhagen, Nairobi and Beijing — is one of collaboration, resistance, strategy, and joy.
Explore the landmark UN gatherings that inspired the global women’s movement and propelled women’s rights worldwide. This groundbreaking project explores the four UN World Conferences on Women — Mexico City in 1975, Copenhagen in 1980, Nairobi in 1985, and Beijing in 1995 — and how they energized a global women’s movement to catalyze transformative progress within a single generation, and what has followed. The project also offers a roadmap for the next era of gender equality advocacy.
This exclusive report tells the stories of key players, places, and moments in the history of the UN and women’s movements and offers lessons for the future.
Read the full report
This executive summary highlights the main themes and reflections from the report, “The United Nations and the Global Women’s Movement: Learning from the Past, Looking to the Future.”
Available in Spanish and French.
Dive into the history and stories of the UN World Conferences on Women, told by those who were there and who are charting the future, find inspiration, and reflect on the transformative change that took place in the span of a generation.
