Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 26: Eminent social reformer Dr Navneet Kaur, Vice Chairperson of the All India Sustainable Development Council (AISDC), represented India at the United Nations High-Level Hearing commemorating the 30th Anniversary of the Beijing Declaration, held at the iconic UN headquarters in New York.
Joining global leaders and UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous, Dr Kaur made a compelling case for urgent, women-led solutions to the world’s pressing crises. In her powerful address, Dr Kaur declared, “We are not here to applaud being invited to the table, but to design the agenda-an agenda where every woman and girl is safe everywhere.” This resonated with Bahous’ warning that, at the current pace, women may have to wait over a century for full equality.
Highlighting AISDC’s grassroots efforts, Dr Kaur spotlighted key initiatives aligned with the UN Women’s six-pillar Beijing+30 Action Agenda. These include Gender Equity Clubs in over 200 schools to combat street harassment, Economic Inclusion Hubs operating across 12 Indian states to lift women out of poverty, and Rural Book Clubs that promote feminist dialogue around safety and rights. She also outlined AISDC’s sustained efforts to address workplace harassment of women, stressing the need for legal literacy and enforcement under frameworks like POSH and POCSO.
During a high-level meeting with Bahous, Dr Kaur emphasized the real-world impact of these interventions in marginalized Indian communities. Bahous acknowledged the initiatives as “exactly the grassroots leadership needed to achieve Generation Equality goals,” and announced plans to scale AISDC’s models through expanded collaboration with UN Women.
Dr Kaur also drew attention to other urgent concerns affecting women and children, including human trafficking, the crisis of missing persons, maritime drug trafficking, and crimes against children. Emphasizing the importance of international cooperation, she stated, “We work from the grassroots to the global stage to amplify these voices, and we remain committed to justice and sustainable development for all.”
Reflecting on three decades since the Beijing Declaration, she said, “For 30 years, UN Women has turned hope into action. Now, we accelerate.”
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