bb ied ▁to ▁advance ▁the ▁Women ' s ▁Ag enda ▁for ▁the ▁ 2 1 st ▁Century ▁at ▁the ▁UN ▁Conference ▁on ▁Environment ▁and ▁Development , ▁held ▁in ▁Rio ▁de ▁Janeiro ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 . ▁B ella ▁and ▁W ED O ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁play ▁a ▁leading ▁role ▁at ▁the ▁UN . ▁They ▁worked ▁through ▁the ▁Women ' s ▁C au cus ▁to ▁highlight ▁issues ▁of ▁greatest ▁concern ▁to ▁women ▁in ▁both ▁on going ▁policy - making ▁and ▁at ▁major ▁UN ▁con ferences , ▁including ▁the ▁Four th ▁World ▁Conference ▁on ▁Women ▁in ▁Be ij ing ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 . ▁During ▁UN ▁con ferences , ▁govern ments ▁would ▁make ▁commit ments , ▁prom ising ▁to ▁meet ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁goals ▁further ed ▁by ▁the ▁conference . ▁W ED O ▁developed ▁strateg ies ▁to ▁monitor ▁govern ments ▁and ▁make ▁the ▁results ▁public . ▁ ▁During ▁her ▁last ▁years , ▁B ella ▁kept ▁up ▁her ▁busy ▁schedule ▁of ▁travel ▁and ▁work , ▁even ▁though ▁she ▁tra ve led ▁in ▁a ▁wheel ch air . ▁B ella ▁led ▁W ED O ▁until ▁her ▁death , ▁giving ▁her ▁final ▁public ▁speech ▁before ▁the ▁UN ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 9 8 . ▁ ▁After ▁batt ling ▁breast ▁cancer ▁for ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁years , ▁she ▁developed ▁heart ▁disease ▁and ▁died ▁on ▁March ▁ 3 1 , ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁from ▁comp lications ▁following ▁open ▁heart ▁surg ery . ▁She ▁was ▁ 7 7 . ▁Ab zug ▁was ▁inter