Women leaders at the UN: Women’s rights are foundational, urgent
By Marivir R. Montebon
New York - Voices of women leaders were loud and clear at the United Nations General Assembly and related events.
On September 22, 2025, the Philippines reiterated its commitment to the Beijing Declaration of Women's Empowerment as Philippine Foreign Affairs Sec. Tess Lazaro underscored the highlights of the Philippines in institutionalizing Gender & Development and Women Peace and Security measures.
Philippine Foreign Secretary Tess Lazaro
The Philippines, a convenor of the 4th Women’s World Conference in Beijing in 1995 that created the Beijing Declaration of Women’s Empowerment, passed a law Gender & Development that provided for 5% of local and national budgets for empowering programs for women and communities.
It also trailblazed in including women leaders in the negotiating and peace processes of areas of armed conflict in the Philippines.
Queen Rania of Jordan
On that same conference, dubbed as the SDG Moment sponsored by ECOSOC, Queen Rania al Abdullah of Jordan issued a powerful statement calling for the UN to protect women in armed conflict being the most vulnerable individuals, citing the situation Gaza and Rohingya.
In her speech, Queen Rania, who is of Palestinian descent, emphasized the urgency of responding to women in war zones.
“Yes, we celebrate women’s achievements everywhere. But what do glass ceilings mean to women forced to live in tents? The women suffering the most often receive the least global attention. That silence has been deafening in Gaza.”
Queen Rania urged the UN to “act urgently against violators of international humanitarian law and restore some balance in the world.”
The UN has acknowledged a substantial backlash in the gains of Beijing platform in the economic downtrend and the rise of authoritarian regimes that deny women and communities of their lives, freedoms, and economic opportunities. Only 35% of the Sustainable Development Goals have been realized, UN research studies reveal. The UN Women section, has in fact, noted that Gender Equality, has not been on track.
Kelly Kimball
An important reckoning for the world was expressed by New York-based journalist Kelly Kimball who said that SDG 5 (Gender Equality) is foundational in all the 17 SDGs identified by the UN. Poverty and wars can be resolved when women are included in the solution process, she said.
Kimball is the managing editor of More of Her Story online magazine who provides platform to the invisible stories of women in the direst of conditions like armed conflict and oppressive regimes.
