The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action of 1995 (Beijing Platform for Action) is the most visionary agenda for the empowerment of women and girls, everywhere. Developed at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China—known as the largest-ever gathering of gender equality advocates—the Beijing Platform for Action was adopted by 189 governments committed to taking strategic, bold action in 12 critical areas of concern: poverty, education and training, health, violence, armed conflict, economy, power and decision-making, institutional mechanisms, human rights, media, environment, and the girl child.
The Generation Equality campaign demands equal pay, equal sharing of unpaid care and domestic work, an end to sexual harassment and all forms of violence against women and girls, health-care services that respond to their needs, and their equal participation in political life and decision-making in all areas of life.
The forum gave equal opportunities to women groups including sex workers-led groups. The theme of the forum was:
- Gender-Based Violence
- Economic justice and rights
- Bodily autonomy and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)
- Feminist action for climate justice
- Technology and innovation for Gender Equality
- Feminist movements and leadership
Implementation of this directly benefits sex workers in terms of elimination of gender-based violence including sexual, economic rights meaning that they will experience favorable working conditions, bodily autonomy, and access to SRHR services not forgetting capacity building.
In Kenya, sex worker collectives were well represented by Kiambu Sex Workers Association (KIASWA) a sex worker-led group based in Kiambu-Kenya that attended the two forums in Mexico and Paris.
KIASWA was also made an action coalition member and was also given the opportunity to make commitments based on challenges they were facing.
Commitments included:
Gender-Based Violence, Bodily autonomy and sexual reproductive health and Feminist movement and leadership.
This to sex workers means that they still have the power to influence decisions and have their opinions count in major decisions.
Read the commitments here:
Watch Jessica a trans sex worker on Generation Equality Forum 2021:
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