The World is Making Progress on Women Rights
The world is making progress on women rights, but there is still much work to be done. Women should have the right to equal treatment under the law, freedom of expression and movement, and the ability to make their own choices about their lives. These rights are essential to a well-functioning democracy and society.
As a result, the ACLU women’s rights projects use litigation and advocacy to address discrimination against women, particularly in areas such as sexual violence, workplace policies, and education. We also promote reforms in institutions that perpetuate discrimination, including the judicial system and police force.
In the past, many laws and policies treated women differently from men, which is why a number of countries have taken steps to eliminate discriminatory laws by ratifying international conventions or adopting domestic legislation. But even with these changes, the vast majority of countries treat women and men unequally under the law, and there is a continuing need to raise awareness about discrimination against women.
Women’s rights activists began agitating for equality in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with New Zealand becoming the first country to grant women the right to vote at a national level. The movement grew rapidly, with more and more countries passing laws that explicitly granted women human rights. Women’s suffrage eventually became a global standard. But in spite of this success, women remain significantly less politically empowered than men, with only 143 out of 195 countries guaranteeing equality between men and women in their constitutions.
Many of the same problems persist in the workplace, with women earning 20 percent less than men globally. There are several reasons for this gap, including discrimination, a lack of childcare and family support networks, and the prevalence of’separate spheres’ ideology that views women’s work and home lives as separate spheres to be governed by different laws.
It is important for women to have access to economic opportunities and the chance to grow their wealth and become financially independent. This can be achieved by addressing the barriers to women’s economic participation and improving access to financial services. It can also be done by promoting equal pay for women, ending discrimination in the labour market, and enabling women to own their own businesses.
When asked about the kinds of changes they would like to see in a society where women have equal rights with men, most people (47%) say they’d like to see equal pay for work done by both sexes. Other responses included a desire for no discrimination in hiring or promotion, better childcare facilities and tax deductions for child care expenses, and flexible working hours and maternity leave.
Gender equality is inextricably linked to other human rights. For example, a lack of gender equality increases the risk of rape and other forms of sexual assault; it reduces the availability of safe abortions and birth control, which can lead to unintended pregnancies and unwanted children; and it limits access to education and job opportunities, which in turn leads to poverty and inequality. This is why it is so important that countries make advancing the equal rights of women and girls an integral part of their development agenda.