1. Context of the Conference
The 4th World Conference on Women held in Beijing in early September 1995, took place amid high expectations because it was a huge international event taking place in China, a country hitherto known for its isolation from the rest of the world. The attitude of the great nation of China towards the rest of the world was beginning to show signs of a certain openness while its economy revealed signs of rapid growth. The Chinese government granted thousands of visas to participants, journalists, observers and members of NGOs who participated in a parallel event held in Huairou, 55 km from Beijing.
The 4th Conference took place in a rather particular global political context. In 1995 only a few years had passed since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War, a context which opened up new challenges and new opportunities. No longer under the constant threat of global conflict, an era of new and improved international relations had begun, in an international non-confrontational context. This helped create a positive climate so that the conference could be an opportunity for women to become more aware of their dignity. On a positive note, in the vast majority of countries, women already had equality before the law, opportunities for participation in public, economic and political life and access to education. The Conference provided a wonderful opportunity to assess the fruit of this positive global change. Perhaps another factor to be considered in the context of the Conference was the emergence and spread of the internet which favoured the creation of networks between different countries. They could now count on a more immediate form of communication than before.
It is also important to mention as part of the context the other United Nations global conferences that took place in the 90's. The language they used was notably similar to that used in Beijing. This shows that Beijing was not an isolated event: a common language corresponds to a common stance. The conferences to which we refer are: the Conference on Education for All in Jomtien (Thailand) in 1990, the Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, the Conference on Human Rights in Vienna in 1993, and the Conference on Population and Development in Cairo in 1994. The last of these had significant similarities in language and ideas with Beijing. ... Continue
