We began this month with a sense of purpose and possibility. In the first days of November, Vital Voices convened a working session of 50 remarkable individuals from around the world, “Breakthrough: Overcoming the Obstacles to Equality, Development and Peace,” at New York University’s Villa La Pietra campus in Florence. Made possible with the support of the Paul E. Singer Family Foundation, New York University and Starwood & The Westin Excelsior, we brought together global thought leaders, business executives, government officials, and fellow NGO directors to discuss the foremost challenges facing women in anticipation of a very significant anniversary.

It was nearly fifteen years ago that I stood among activists, politicians, and representatives from across the world who were agitating for change, to hasten progress and effectively advance of the status of women. The UN Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing was a momentous gathering, and will forever serve as an historic reference point in the movement for women’s equality. The words spoken and commitments made in the form of the Platform for Action were powerful catalysts in 1995, and continue to inspire action in 2009.

During the working session, we considered the current challenges to progress, and found that the landscape of women’s rights has changed some in the last years; while certain obstacles have been overcome, others continue to evade our reach. Our discussion was informed by the insight of such experts as Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Muhammad Yunus ,Lead Specialist of Gender & Development at the World Bank Amanda Ellis, and Ambassador-at-Large Luis CdeBaca of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. We concluded that there are three central roadblocks to women’s equality and development: lack of political will and accountability, the inferior status of women, and the lack of alternative economic structures. Moving forward, we will focus on making strides in these critical areas, urged on by the strength of a coalition of valued partners.

Now it’s time to realize the promise of Beijing in concrete terms, so that fifteen years from now we might reflect on progress furthered and obstacles definitively overcome. Perhaps one of the greatest achievements of the working session, Vital Voices was able to bring together a diverse collection of actors and organizations. We united these participants as one community, determined to advance the rights and equality of women around the world, and we look forward to all that we can achieve in the years to come.