Maryanne Mbogo African Women's Studies Centre (AWSC), University of Nairobi.
This week the world converges in New York for the Beijing+30 Conference (officially the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women - CSW69), a landmark event aimed at reviewing three decades of progress on gender equality.
The global community pauses to reflect on a journey that began in Nairobi four decades ago; through the 1985 Nairobi Forward-Looking Strategies Conference.
This was a landmark event that not only concluded the United Nations Decade for Women but also set the stage for the transformative 1995 Beijing Conference, effectively laying the groundwork for the ongoing global fight for gender equality.
This year’s Beijing+30 conference marks 30 years since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
It seeks to review progress made toward gender equality, address persistent challenges, and accelerate the implementation of the Beijing commitments in the face of emerging global issues such as climate change, technological advancements, and economic inequality.
The conference aims to renew political will, strengthen multilateral cooperation, and empower women and girls worldwide to fully realize their rights and potential in all spheres of life.
PARADIGM SHIFT
The 1985 Nairobi Forward Looking Strategies Conference brought together delegates from 157 countries to assess progress made during the past decade and to chart a bold, forward-looking agenda for the future
Its landmark outcome, the Nairobi Forward-Looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, emphasized the key role of women in development, peacebuilding, and decision-making, calling for their full participation in all spheres of life.
The conference also marked a paradigm shift by framing women’s rights as human rights and addressing structural barriers such as poverty, discrimination, and unequal access to education and healthcare. Importantly, Nairobi’s role as the first Global South city to host a UN women’s conference of this magnitude symbolized the growing voice of African women in global dialogues, challenging the dominance of Western narratives and amplifying the perspectives of women from developing nations.
The strategies and principles laid out in Nairobi provided a blueprint for the 1995 Beijing Conference, which built on this foundation to adopt the transformative Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
KENYA’S PREPARATIONS
Kenya’s preparations for the 1985 Conference began as early as 1983.
Prof. Wanjiku Kabira and a team of researchers embarked on a study that traced the history of women’s groups in Kenya since independence.
The study focused on women’s collective efforts in Central Kenya, where groups of women had come together to purchase land in the Rift Valley, marking significant improvement in their economic and social empowerment.
Through firsthand accounts, Prof. Kabira and the team documented the experiences of these women, who, for the first time, enjoyed the liberation of land ownership and the autonomy it brought.
The findings of this study formed a critical part of Kenya’s contributions at the 1985 conference. These insights attracted notable attention from global institutions like the World Bank and highlighted the importance of grassroots women’s movements in shaping national and international development agendas.
PROGRESS MADE IN WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT
Reflecting on the vision set forth in the 1985 Nairobi Forward Looking Strategies Conference and the 1995 Beijing Conference, Prof. Kabira highlights two transformative areas of progress: girls’ education and women’s land ownership.
In the early years post-independence, very few girls transitioned from primary to secondary school, but today, a vast majority of girls complete their education, thanks to significant investments by both government and non-governmental entities.
Prof. Kabira credits trailblazers like Prof. Eddah Gachukia, whose advocacy has been pivotal in advancing girls’ education and empowerment, to the point where some argue that the boy child has been overlooked.
Equally significant is the progress in women’s property rights.
The 2010 Constitution of Kenya now explicitly recognizes women’s rights, granting equal inheritance rights to both men and women.
This legal framework allows women to inherit family land, a monumental shift from the past when such rights were often denied.
PERSISTENT GAPS AND THE PATH FORWARD
Despite these significant strides, Prof. Kabira acknowledges that gaps remain, particularly in shifting mental models and societal attitudes. Many men and communities still resist the idea of gender equality, whether in education, land ownership, or broader economic and social participation.
These deeply ingrained cultural norms have yet to fully align with the progressive legal and policy frameworks now in place. However, she remains hopeful.
“The change will happen,” she asserts, emphasizing that societal transformation is a gradual process. She believes that continued advocacy, education, and the relentless efforts of women’s rights champions will eventually embed these new norms into our cultural heritage.
The writer works at African Women's Studies Centre (AWSC), University of Nairobi.
