New Wave of Feminists: Building on the Legacy

In a world where gender equality remains both a goal and a challenge, the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action serves as a powerful reminder of the progress made and the work yet to be done. This blueprint for advancing gender equality, adopted during the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995, continues to inspire feminist activists worldwide. As WAVE recently celebrated its own 30th anniversary, we take a moment to reflect on the legacy of past achievements and the vibrant future being shaped by today’s feminist youth activists.

The Beijing Conference of 1995 marked a pivotal moment for global gender equality. It outlined strategic objectives to advance women’s rights across 12 key areas, including poverty, education, violence, media, the economy, and decision-making. This landmark framework not only set the agenda for gender equality but also catalyzed the formation of WAVE, our network of women’s specialist services across Europe dedicated to preventing and ending violence against women and girls.

At the forefront of today’s feminist movement are young leaders like our WAVE Youth Ambassadors. Representing diverse backgrounds and bringing fresh perspectives, they are committed to upholding and expanding the legacy of feminist activism. A key pillar of this movement is intergenerational dialogue—bridging the experiences of seasoned activists with the energy and innovation of young changemakers. While new generations introduce fresh strategies and priorities, learning from past struggles and achievements is essential to building a sustainable and resilient movement. By fostering these connections, feminist activism can draw strength from its rich history while developing bold, forward-thinking strategies to tackle both persistent and emerging challenges.

Against this backdrop, the episode “New Wave of Feminists: Building on the Legacy” of the WAVE podcast, released in connection with International Women’s Day 2025, reflects on these milestones while looking to the future. 4th generation WAVE Youth Ambassadors Aghgul Mehdiyeva (Azerbaijan), Anamika Jain (France) and Julia Mazurkiewicz (Poland) come together to bridges past victories with present activism within this discussion. They explore how feminist achievements continue to shape today’s struggles and highlight the critical role of women’s specialist services in providing essential support and advocating for systemic change. Looking ahead, they share their vision for carrying this work forward, ensuring that the next generation of feminists remains committed to a world free from violence against women.

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Aghgul Mehdiyeva

Azerbaijan

To me, the most significant feminist achievement of the past 30 years is that feminist organisations and movements are more organised now on a global level, which is really effective in fighting violence against women and girls.

Anamika Jain

France

My advice for young feminists who are just joining the movement is to try and stay informed. At the same time, look at the issues from differing perspectives and be open to adding nuances to your understanding or to even change your understanding of the cause that you are passionate about. I faced this first hand, when I was working at a women’s specialist services, where looking at the lived realities of survivors and case workers challenged and changed a lot of my ideas of what gender-based violence is, how one experiences it, and much more. This is way I would say, keep your mind open to the lived realities and the differing perspectives that someone else might have, because it will make your understanding of the issue a lot more rich and nuanced, and also strengthen the debate and the cause even further.

Julia Mazurkiewicz

Poland

There are a lot of different ways young activists can support women’s specialist services. Personally, I have been volunteering in centres for victims of domestic violence as well as reproductive injustice, but there are many other opportunities to engage.

As we look to the future, the message from our WAVE Youth Ambassadors is clear: to achieve true gender equality, we must remain informed, open-minded, and actively involved. By embracing the lessons of the past and the energy of the present, we can work towards a world where gender equality is not just an aspiration but a reality.

The journey continues, and the call for “No More Violence Against Women” resonates stronger than ever. Together, we can champion a world free from violence and discrimination, honoring the legacy of those who paved the way and empowering the feminist leaders of tomorrow.