Demand Women's Human Rights!

Workers of Wonder (WOW), Columbia University, New York City, perform at the 1998 Global Campaign for Women's Human Rights Launch, December 8, 1997. © Joan Roth, United States.

 

On the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, advocates throughout the world are calling attention to continuing violations of the human rights of women, and the urgent need for governments and intergovernmental bodies to strengthen their efforts to ensure respect for the human rights of all.

The following demands and actions seek to link efforts locally and globally through a common set of substantive concerns regarding women's human rights. These demands focus on the clear steps the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action directs governments and intergovernmental organizations to take to promote and protect women's human rights. Building on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action declares: "Human rights and fundamental freedoms are the birthright of all human beings; their protection and promotion is the first responsibility of Governments" (paragraph 210). It reaffirms that "all human rights -- civil, cultural, economic, political and social, including the right to development -- are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated, as expressed in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action...The full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by women and girls is a priority for Governments and the United Nations and is essential for the advancement of women" (paragraph 214).

Therefore, women's human rights advocates throughout the world call upon governments and intergovernmental bodies to do the following:

Demand #1:

The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action provides a detailed articulation of what implementation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights means for women. Therefore, we call for increased action toward and resources for its full implementation. In order to fully achieve these goals, governments must also respect and protect defenders of the human rights of women.

• Dedicate new and expanded resources or reallocate existing resources to addressing women's human rights.

• Take immediate steps to implement the Beijing Platform for Action's recommendation to fully integrate the human rights of women throughout all policies and programmes.

• Work toward ratification of the Declaration on the Rights of Human Rights Defenders (officially called the Draft Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms).

Demand #2:

Outlaw all forms of discrimination against women.

• Ensure ratification and implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (the Women's Convention) immediately.

• Remove any reservations to the Women's Convention.

• Bring national laws and policies into compliance with the Women's Convention.

• Work toward adopting a strong optional protocol to the Women's Convention establishing a right of petition.

Demand #3:

Ensure women's right to live free from violence.

• Take concerted and systematic action to end violence against women in the home and family through all necessary means.

• Recognize that gender-based violence and discrimination, and the reprisals women experience when they resist such oppression can constitute persecution and should therefore be considered as grounds for showing a well-founded fear of persecution in refugee and asylum claims.

• Eliminate gender-based persecution in situations of war and armed conflict and provide justice and reparations to victims of such persecution.

• Work toward establishing an effective and independent International Criminal Court that includes a gender perspective throughout its statute, such as the inclusion of sexual violence and rape in the definitions of crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Demand #4:

Take steps to realize women's health, including their reproductive and sexual rights.

• Ensure the realization of women's right to the highest attainable standard of physicaland mental health.

• Secure women's access to reproductive and sexual health and rights.

Demand #5:

Secure women's economic, social and cultural rights.

• Guarantee women's right to development, by providing women with equal access to economic resources, as well as protecting their rights to own property and to equal inheritance, to land tenure and to credit and training, through law, policy and practice.

• Secure literacy for every woman and girl by ensuring equal access to education,including human rights education and legal literacy.

• Enforce women workers' rights on the basis of equality, non-discrimination and protection and to a living wage.