30 Years on: Beyond Individual Solutions to Systemic Change for Gender Equality

As we approach the 30th anniversary of the Beijing UN Women’s Conference and the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, this paper critically evaluates the progress and persistent challenges surrounding the leadership and empowerment of adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) within the global context of gender equality and sustainable development. Despite notable achievements in women's and LGBTQ+ human rights, AGYW remain an overlooked group in global programming and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A focus on individual-level solutions, at the expense of addressing systemic barriers, undermines meaningful progress in gender equality and women's rights worldwide.

Although individual empowerment strategies have gained traction, they often fail to address deeper structural issues perpetuating gender inequality. These programs, primarily focused on knowledge, confidence, and skill-building, frequently overlook the socio-political contexts that restrict AGYW's leadership and reinforce existing power dynamics. This oversight is significant given the global gender gap, reflecting disparities in access to resources and decision-making power.

In response, this paper advocates for a paradigm shift toward prioritizing systemic change in AGYW leadership and empowerment programming. By employing frameworks such as the socio-ecological model and intersectionality, the paper proposes an integrated approach targeting individual, community, and institutional levels. Through the analysis of successful programmatic examples, key strategies for fostering AGYW leadership are identified, including collective action models and multi-stakeholder engagement.

Utilizing a phased scoping review methodology that synthesizes findings from 72 academic sources and 31 pieces of gray literature, the paper offers actionable recommendations for future programming with a focus on reframing AGYW as inherently vulnerable and shifting the focus to addressing systemic barriers to leadership and empowerment. Ultimately, this research aims to enhance understanding of the challenges outlined in the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and align efforts with the transformative goals of the Beijing Platform for Action.