The making of MARIE CLAIRE

It was 1995 and leaders from 189 countries had gathered in Beijing for the United Nations’ Fourth International Conference on Women. The passionate delegates – mostly women – were there to create what would become a ground-breaking action plan that would shape global female empowerment for the next 25 years. Yet unbelievably that wasn’t the takeaway headline from the conference. Many of the guests were waiting to hear from the headline speaker, the then First Lady of the United States, Hillary Rodham Clinton. Clinton didn’t disappoint, famously declaring to all the catchcry of a generation: “Women’s rights are human rights and human rights are women’s rights.’’ The speech took “women’s issues” out of the niche backblocks and has had long-lasting impact on the advancement of women and girls across the world. (Oh, and played a big role in making Clinton a superhero for feminists everywhere.)

So it was fitting that against this backdrop of momentous female progression and the global push for women’s rights.