This gathering – under the theme “Accelerating the realization of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls” – marked the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action – the most comprehensive roadmap for women and girls’ empowerment. The development follows the deadly shooting in August of Dr. Riham Yaqoub and the attempted assassination of Lodya Remon Albarti, in Basra. Both rights defenders had led women’s marches within the protest movement against corruption and unemployment that began in 2018 in the southern city. The letter calls on the UN and Member States to prioritize women’s participation and fully implement the WPS agenda. Read the letter here.