A Glance at the Past: Achieved Goals, Persisting Unbalances and Discriminations

Abstract The first chapter of the book looks into the past and reconstructs the key milestones that have shaped the recent history of gender equality, women’s human rights, and empowerment. It aims to synthesise the lessons learned and outline the future challenges that lie ahead for a broad audience of actors and stakeholders. It traces the history of the main milestones in the achievements of women and feminist movements, representing them worldwide, starting from 1979, the year of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, followed by its Optional Protocol, and extending to the European Strategy for Gender Equality 2020–2025 and Goal #5 of the UN SDGs in the UN Agenda 2030, with a notable mention of the first three Women’s World Conferences, the DEVAW, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and the so-called Istanbul Convention.