A joint statement from WHO and UHC2030 on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action

Distinguished delegates, colleagues,

I am speaking today on behalf of the World Health Organization and UHC2030. 

This year’s review of Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 5 is a timely reminder that there is no gender equality without health and there’s no women’s health without gender equality. 

Thirty years since the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, structural gender inequalities continue to shape health outcomes for women and girls. From limited access to quality healthcare and sexual and reproductive health services, to gender pay gaps and unsafe working conditions for women health workers – the gaps are wide and the consequences, far reaching. 

Today 4.5 billion people, over half of the world's population, lack access to essential health services, while nearly 2 billion people face financial hardship due to health expenses. These inequities disproportionately impact women and girls who face higher out-of-pocket costs, lower insurance coverage, and systemic barriers in accessing essential services.

Let us be clear: Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is one of the most powerful tools to improve lives, but it is not truly universal unless it is gender-responsive. Yet, the latest State of UHC Commitment review shows that most national processes remain gender blind.

This is why WHO is working with partners to drive a system-wide shift. We are promoting stronger collaboration between health and gender equality actors and in this context, and we have launched a new UHC2030 Strategic Narrative to Drive Advocacy and Action on Advancing Gender-Responsive Health Systems for UHC, a shared tool to turn global commitments into practical country-level action. 

We live in a time of overlapping crises – conflict, climate shocks, deepening inequalities – and we call on governments, partners, and civil society to leverage the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action to reaffirm our shared commitments, and move from words to action.

Let us seize this moment to build gender-responsive health systems, uphold women’s rights, and remember: delivering on UHC and on gender equality is not only key to sustainable development, it is also a matter of dignity and justice. 

Thank you.

Watch the hearing here.

Download the narrative here.

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Background 

This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women and the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a pivotal milestone for global gender equality efforts. This anniversary comes at a critical juncture, with less than five years to deliver on the 2030 Agenda.

The hearing brings Member States, UN entities, civil society, youth, the private sector, philanthropy and academia, to further invigorate collective actions and drive political momentum for the Beijing+30 Action Agenda ahead of the September high-level meeting. The discussions will draw linkages with the Pact for the Future, SDG 5 on gender equality and other goals under review at HLPF 2025, notably SDG 3 on good health and well-being, SDG 8 on decent work and economic growth, and SDG 17 on partnerships for the goals. Additionally, discussions will be guided by the outcomes and recommendations of other United Nations intergovernmental processes, including the sixty-ninth session of the Commission on the Status of Women and relevant initiatives, notably the regional Beijing +30 reviews and the Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) presented at the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF).