即使是在这个科技高度发达的时代，尽管许多人在为实现进步和改变而工作，但全世界仍存在着严重的不平等现象：在《北京行动纲要》所载十二个关键领域及 1995 年未强调的一些新领域均存在对妇女和女童的歧视。在性别歧视外,再加上基于其他因素（诸如阶级、宗教、能力和年龄）的歧视，使建立公正、和平世界的努力更加复杂化。
The world over, even in an age of high technological advancement and with many working for progress and change, grave inequalities remain: discrimination against women and the girl child is still practiced in each of the Beijing Platform for Action’s twelve critical areas and in new spheres not highlighted in 1995. And discrimination on additional grounds such as class, creed, ability and age further complicates efforts to build a just and peaceful world.