This year marks three decades since the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995), the most progressive blueprint ever for advancing women’s rights globally. The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), as the principal global body dedicated to women’s empowerment, has played an essential role in monitoring progress and addressing the remaining gaps.
The Beijing Declaration set out a comprehensive framework aimed at achieving women’s equality in various areas, including education, health, economy, and human rights. Thirty years later, while notable strides have been made in many areas, there are still significant challenges, especially regarding women’s access to nutrition.
The Beijing Declaration and nutrition
One of the critical aspects of the Beijing Declaration is its focus on the well-being and health of women, which includes their nutritional needs. For women, nutrition is not only about their health status as caregivers and mothers; it’s also about their own personal health and their ability to achieve their potential. Adequate nutrition plays a fundamental role in empowering women by improving their health, productivity, and overall quality of life.
Nutrition cuts across all twelve Critical Areas of Concern listed in the declaration.
When women are malnourished, they are more likely to be in poverty, as are their families. They’re less likely to be able to climb out of poverty, and their poverty drives further malnutrition of them and their children.
When women are malnourished, they are less likely to be able to access education and training, to achieve their potential in education or a career, or be productive at work.
When women are malnourished, their health suffers, and they’re more likely to suffer from complications during pregnancy and childbirth, which in turn impacts the survival and development of their children.
When women are malnourished, they’re less able to share power and decision-making at all levels. Their voices aren’t heard and nothing changes. Empowering women to make decisions about their nutrition and health is integral to breaking the cycle of poverty.
When women are malnourished, the economy of their country is stunted: malnutrition costs the world $3.5 trillion in lost productivity and healthcare costs each year. The human potential lost to malnutrition costs low-income nations up to 16% of their GDP in forgone productivity, which amounts to a permanent 2008-level global recession every year.
CSW in 2025
The CSW has been a key body in recognizing the connection between good nutrition and women’s empowerment. It has consistently advocated for policies that ensure women have access to adequate food, healthcare, and nutrition, emphasizing the need for addressing nutrition with approaches tailored to women’s unique biological needs.
At CSW69, the world will take stock of the strides we’ve made and confront the ongoing challenges women face in the quest for equality, and for good nutrition.
Empowering women to make decisions about their nutrition—whether through access to education, land rights, or income-generating opportunities—can go a long way in closing the gender gap in nutrition. Addressing these challenges requires not only policy changes but also cultural shifts that allow women and girls to have a seat at the table in food systems discussions.
The Beijing Declaration was a momentous moment that reshaped the global agenda for gender equality and inspired millions. As we reflect on the past 30 years, we must recognize the urgent need to ensure that women everywhere can access the nutrition they need to thrive, in order to build a more equitable and sustainable world for all.