Storyline: Women and girls worldwide continue to face deep-seated structural barriers that must be addressed globally, according to Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, president of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly. Ahead of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, set to be held in Beijing from October 13-14, UN officials have been emphasizing the urgent need for accelerated action to achieve gender equality. Speaking in an online interview with CGTN in late September, Espinosa said the problem persists even in high-level international organizations like the UN. "We have to accept that new progress has been made, but unfortunately, women and girls, especially in low income and informal urban areas and but also in rural areas, still face deep structural barriers. You mentioned I was the only the fourth female to preside over the UN General Assembly. We have just the number five in 80 years, we see that it's not enough. We are getting close to the selection of a new secretary-general -- in 80 years, the organization has never had a female at the helm. So, there is a lot of homework. Violence against women has increased, we continue to have gaps in representation in parliament, in cabinet. And if you look at the number of female heads of state in government, we still have a long, long way, a long way to go," she said. The Global Leaders' Meeting on Women will be convened on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the 1995 World Conference on Women, which was also held in the Chinese capital. On the legacy of the conference, Espinosa underscored the enduring significance of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action adopted when it convened 30 years ago. "It did play an important role when at the conference in Beijing was organized 30 years ago, the platform -- the Beijing Platform for Action -- remains extremely relevant. And it is a road map that continues to be important and we need to reaffirm and recommit to the Beijing Platform for Action. It's really good news that a summit, a high-level meeting is planned in Beijing to celebrate 30 years of the conference in Beijing," said Espinosa. Shotlist: FILE: UN Headquarters, New York City - Date Unknown: 1. Emblem of United Nations 2. UN flag Madrid, Spain - September 2025: 3. SOUNDBITE (English) Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, president, 73rd session of United Nations General Assembly (starting with shot 2): "We have to accept that new progress has been made, but unfortunately, women and girls, especially in low income and informal urban areas and but also in rural areas, still face deep structural barriers. You mentioned I was the only the fourth female to preside over the UN General Assembly. We have just the number five in 80 years, we see that it's not enough. We are getting close to the selection of a new secretary-general -- in 80 years, the organization has never had a female at the helm. So, there is a lot of homework. Violence against women has increased, we continue to have gaps in representation in parliament, in cabinet. And if you look at the number of female heads of state in government, we still have a long, long way, a long way to go." FILE: Kandahar Province, Afghanistan - Nov 7, 2021: 4. Pedestrians 5. Various of women in burqas FILE: Gaza City, Gaza Strip - Sept 10, 2025: 6. Various of displaced people Madrid, Spain - September 2025: 7. SOUNDBITE (English) Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, president, 73rd session of United Nations General Assembly: "It did play an important role when at the conference in Beijing was organized 30 years ago, the platform -- the Beijing Platform for Action -- remains extremely relevant. And it is a road map that continues to be important and we need to reaffirm and recommit to the Beijing Platform for Action. It's really good news that a summit, a high-level meeting is planned in Beijing to celebrate 30 years of the conference in Beijing." FILE: China - Exact Location and Date Unknown: 8. Various of women, children 9. Various of women working, harvesting fruits. [Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland]