September marks 30 years since the landmark Fourth World Conference on Women, together with its outcome document the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a United Nations (UN) framework designed to advance the status of women around the world. To honor this milestone, the Baha’i International Community (BIC) has published a book compiling three decades of its statements to the UN on gender equality.

The new publication, titled In Full Partnership: Thirty Years of Women’s Advancement at the United Nations and Beyond, is part of global “Beijing+30” initiatives reflecting on commitments, challenges, and progress around advancing gender equality over three decades.

“The Fourth World Conference on Women was a pivotal moment for women’s rights and advancement, serving as a springboard for many women and organizations that were working on women’s rights,” said Bani Dugal, Principal Representative of the Baha’i International Community, who assisted the BIC during the Beijing conference itself.

“It is against this history that the Baha’i International Community wishes to honor the significant strides that have been made since that time and to invite Member States, UN agencies, civil society organizations, as well as communities dedicated to the work of achieving gender equality to realize those ideals that are still in urgent need today.”

Following the original 12 “critical areas of concern” outlined in the Beijing Declaration, In Full Partnership consolidates the BIC’s extensive experience engaging with UN mechanisms, including all four World Conferences on Women (Mexico City in 1975, Copenhagen in 1980, Nairobi in 1985, and Beijing in 1995), as well as sustained participation in the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) over the years.

The release of In Full Partnership aligns with the international community’s assessment of the persistent challenges and setbacks faced by the gender equality movement—including rising political polarization and entrenched patriarchal attitudes. At the same time, the publication underscores significant achievements, offering hopeful and practical examples from Baha’i communities in over 100,000 localities worldwide, working alongside friends, co-workers, government officials, and like-minded organizations to promote societies that embody the principle of gender equality.

“We’re seeing through the experiences of thousands of communities around the world that the work of advancing gender equality requires the full engagement of every segment of society,” said Liliane Nkunzimana, Representative of the Baha’i International Community, who also serves as Member-at-Large of the Executive Committee of NGO CSW/NY and co-chair of its Working Group on Gender Equality and Peace.

“Ultimately, the goal is to deconstruct gender norms that harm and hold back women and men alike—and to replace such norms with cohesive and constructive ones. In Full Partnership highlights that everyone has unique and valuable roles to play in this endeavor.”

In Full Partnership is intended as a resource for policy makers, UN agencies, and civil society organizations, as well as an invitation for collective action and consultation on practical steps that could lead to lasting gender equality and justice. Featuring vibrant photography from every part of the world, highlighting efforts in Baha’i communities to advance gender equality, In Full Partnership is also offered to the civil society community in recognition of decades of hard labor to advance the status of women, and hopeful of future transformation.

In Full Partnership will be available soon and information on how to obtain a copy will be shared on the BIC’s social media channels. 

For other information regarding the content of the publication, please contact:

Liliane Nkunzimana, Representative to the United Nations, New York, [email protected] (English & French)