Strength in women is not a threat; it is a gift to society.

Talking about youth voices getting involved in the push for gender equality and women’s rights, Kenyan student James Mumo Nyumu highlighted that no country has fulfilled their promise of a world free from violence against women. He pointed to the landmark 1995 Beijing Platform for Action, which aims to underscore the need for gender equality and has led to change over the last 30 years, including more than 1,500 legal reforms adopted across the world to advance the rights of women and girls.

 “The Beijing vision was a blueprint for a future that we have yet to fully realise,” he said. “Strength in women is not a threat; it is a gift to society.” Mr. Nyumu emphasised that male-dominated systems harm women and limit and dehumanise men. Instead, men need to show real strength by having the courage to “learn, unlearn and to relearn”. “My generation demands more,” he said, calling for action beyond Beijing. “Our work is not done.”