Beijing +30: Nairobi Summit rekindles spirit of women’s liberation
From left: Former Cabinet Minister Nyiva Mwendwa, Anne Ambwere, and Lilian Wakiiya Mwaura. The three were among women who attended the Beijing Women’s Conference in 1995.
What you need to know:
- Nairobi’s NXT Her Summit helps us reflect on Beijing’s legacy, women’s empowerment, and future equality goals.
- Beijing +30 brings together pioneers, diplomats, and new voices to chart women’s next empowerment chapter.
Imagine walking into a grand ballroom in the city of your dreams – in this case, Nairobi. Beyond the elegant décor, the large high-resolution screens and the music so soothing it makes your heart dance, the room holds a key to a past you have been told is deeply significant to the story of your life. That, ladies and gentlemen, is the reality today, as the curtains fall on Nation Media Group’s NXT Her Beijing +30 Summit in Kenya’s capital.
For context: this two-day summit marks 30 years since the Fourth World Conference on Women (also known as the Beijing Conference). Its first aim is to reflect on the 30 years since the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 1995.
The second is to examine how far we have come and where we stand today. The third and final aim is to look ahead to the next 30 years. The icing on the cake, for me, is the chance to be in the same room as some of the women who attended the Beijing Conference three decades ago and who are living history.
Sitting in the conference planning meetings and listening to panel and masterclass pitches centred on women who continue to transform society was a thrill.
When I reviewed the final programme and the confirmed speakers, a few names made me especially excited for the two days. Professor Maria Nzomo was one such person. I studied at the University of Nairobi for my undergraduate degree and would occasionally see her around the School of Diplomacy. Even before I ever spoke to her, or heard her voice, I could tell she was not someone to be underestimated. The way she carried herself made me wish I had taken classes in international relations.
You can imagine, therefore, how thrilled I was when in 2022 she was a guest speaker at The Athena – a mentoring and networking platform for women, founded by Dr Monica Juma, the Kenyan diplomat who now serves as National Security Adviser – held at Zen Gardens. She captivated the audience with her experiences in diplomacy. That session was unforgettable and introduced me to Prof Nzomo as one of The Athena’s two golden girls, alongside her co-panellist, Prof Judy Bahemuka.
I did not have the chance to speak to her on that occasion. But fortune gave me another opportunity in 2024, when Nation Media Group invited her as a keynote speaker for that year’s editorial agenda-setting meeting. I had seen her diplomatic side at Zen Gardens, but at the Sarova Stanley meeting I encountered her academic side.
I am not at liberty to share the details of the closed-door discussions, but I can say that she addressed the subject of her presentation in a truly diplomatic manner. By sheer luck, I had her all to myself over lunch – we shared a table with just two others. I asked her all the questions I had long wanted to put to her, and she answered them firmly yet reflectively.
It is clear why I am so eager to hear her at this conference. I have glimpsed her diplomatic and academic sides, and now I look forward to discovering the side of her that went to Beijing 30 years ago – to hear the echoes of the struggle for women’s liberation, her drive for empowerment, and her personal story of empowerment.
I was also looking forward to meeting and listening to Phoebe Asiyo – a pioneering politician credited with setting the right tone for women in politics, in Kenya and beyond. Sadly, she passed away last month. Her name had come up at least three times in our planning meetings as a possible keynote speaker. I find comfort, however, in knowing that as the years come and go, countless people will continue to learn from the footprints she left on the sands of time.
As we collectively plan for the next 30 years after the Beijing Conference, my hope is that every one of us will commit to taking meaningful action within our spheres of influence.
The writer is the Research & Impact Editor, NMG ([email protected]).
