Former Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and Madeleine Albright discussed the legacy of the Fourth World Conference on Women at a virtual discussion held by the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security (GIWPS) (Alec Weiker).

Former Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and Madeleine Albright commemorated the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women in a virtual discussion held by the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security (GIWPS) on September 10. The discussion, moderated by former Ambassador Melanne Verveer, focused on the advancement of women’s rights over the past 25 years and obstacles that have yet to be overcome.

The Conference

The first Fourth World Conference on Women hosted by Beijing in 1995 drew nearly 50,000 participants from 189 different countries. Attended by both Ambassador Albright and First Lady Hillary Clinton, the historic conference opened with a keynote message from the first lady herself.

Opening the dialogue, moderator Verveer began the commemorative celebration by asking Clinton and Albright to recount their time at the conference in Beijing. Both women noted that they had encountered resistance when they expressed interest in attending. Clinton remembers objections from Republicans arguing that her presence would support “anti-family and anti-women” sentiments. Unphased by such comments, though, Clinton remarked that if she couldn’t “go with the blessing of [the] government, [she would] get on a commercial plane” and go of her own accord.

In discussing her keynote address, Clinton explained that she had intended “to push the envelope” as far as she could for women around the world. Her speech, which criticized practices including female infanticide, rape, sexual slavery, and prostitution, did not go over well with Chinese officials, who stopped broadcasting the keynote about a third of the way through her address. Nonetheless, her message found its way into the limelight and her famous declaration that “human rights are women’s rights and women’s rights are human rights” has been heard by millions well into the twenty-first century.

Remembering her own experiences 25 years ago, Albright recalled underscoring the importance of actions over words in describing how the United States would remain vigilant in its commitment to gender equality. By the end of the conference, 189 countries had signed the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which provided a “comprehensive policy framework” to espouse gender equality into the new millennium.

From Platform to Progress

After describing their time at the conference, the dialogue changed subjects and examined how this framework manifested actual change. For instance, as Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright actively incorporated women’s issues into U.S. foreign policy. “When women are politically and economically empowered,” she said, “it’s in American national interest.” These words translated into action, as she saw to it that more women received postings within the State Department throughout her tenure.

Condoleezza Rice advocated for women’s rights as Secretary of State (Wikimedia Commons).

Asked about women’s progress over the past two decades, Clinton claimed that even as new administrations have taken office, women continue to make advances. During the Bush administration, for example, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and First Lady Laura Bush continued to carry “the flag of women’s equality [and] participation.” At the time a senator, Clinton herself pushed for national and local laws furthering women’s equality.

Clinton went on to discuss the work done by Michelle Obama for girls and women, particularly concerning education. Clinton went on, describing how she spearheaded the establishment of the Global Women’s Ambassadorship. Ambassador Verveer, the very moderator of this virtual celebration, first held the post and now heads GIWPS.

Clinton noted that the Trump White House has broken the otherwise continuous line of American commitment to women’s rights, but hopes that feminist activism remains central to future administrations.

The Next 25

In Clinton’s keynote address, she declared that until the human rights of women are universally respected, “[w]e.. will never gain full dignity.” After 25 years, however, Clinton believes that what is more important than simply calling for women’s rights is “enabling women to have the power to claim their rights.”

On the twentieth anniversary of the conference in Beijing, the Clinton foundation in collaboration with the Gates foundation produced a report regarding the state of women’s rights. It found that though significant global progress in education and healthcare had been achieved, serious shortfallings persisted in government, business, and security sectors.

Both Clinton and Albright returned to the point that women’s participation is not a zero-sum game and benefits all countries economically and politically. Clinton cited research revealing that the removal of all obstacles to female participation would bolster global GDP by 25 percent. She also argued that women should be present during peace negotiations given the fact that women disproportionately suffer during wars and conflicts.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been praised for her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic (Wikimedia Commons).

Albright went on to highlight that several countries which have gotten a handle on the COVID-19 outbreak, including New Zealand, Taiwan, Germany, and Finland, all have female leadership. Despite this, however, Clinton remarked that women have, on average, experienced more hardships resulting from the pandemic than their male counterparts. A GIWPS discussion from earlier this year shows these results.

Going forwards, both Secretaries stated the need for “deliberate action” in order to achieve gender equality and reap the benefits that come with it. Clinton noted that in the aftermath of COVID-19, the best paths to recovery will include those led by governments that “understand the disproportionate costs” the pandemic has had on women.

At the end of the dialogue, Verveer announced the release of a new Beijing+25 report created by GIWPS in collaboration with Clinton and other global leaders that lays out ongoing struggles while also proposing a way forward that builds upon the original Platform for Action signed in Beijing 25 years ago.