The United Nations declared 1975 the International Year of Women. The UN General Assembly wanted to raise awareness of the situation of women worldwide and encourage governments to take measures to promote equality. During the year, many events, conferences, seminars and demonstrations took place, bringing together thousands of women worldwide. They discussed relevant topics such as reproductive rights, education, discrimination in the workplace and political participation. This was preceded by a broad global movement for women's rights and equality in the 1960s and 1970s, as a result of which international women's organisations campaigned for visible representation of their interests at the United Nations. The Finnish diplomat Helvi Sipilä was appointed Deputy Secretary-General in 1972, making her the third highest-ranking position at the United Nations. She organised and chaired the first UN World Conference on Women in Mexico City in 1975, at which, among other things, a world action plan to improve the situation of women was adopted. In the following years, conferences were held in Copenhagen (1980), Nairobi (1985) and Beijing (1995). The ‘Beijing Declaration’ drawn up there is still regarded as the most comprehensive concept for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls - for a life without violence and discrimination. The International Year of Women laid the foundation for many advances and developments. Women's organisations and activists continue their work for women's rights and gender equality. Despite all the momentum and far-reaching resolutions and conventions, as well as the establishment of an organisation such as UN Women in 2010, gender equality has stalled or even regressed in many areas. Focussing on the issue and driving forward appropriate measures must always be the goal in politics and society.
