Srinagar, April 19 -- Across the world, one conclusion is becoming increasingly clear: no society can achieve meaningful development without the full participation of its women. Three decades after the 1995 Beijing Declaration, this insight stands firmly supported by evidence. Women's development is not separate from development. It is central to it. What was once framed as a moral commitment is now reinforced by evidence from global institutions and leading universities, showing that when women have access to education, healthcare and economic opportunity, societies become more stable, productive and resilient.

At the heart of this idea is a simple principle. Women's rights are human rights that every society must recognise and institut...