Women Rights and Violence Against Women
Women rights encompass a broad range of issues that are important to all women. They include access to quality education and healthcare, economic opportunities, political participation, and the ability to make informed decisions about their own bodies.
Many of these issues are also connected to violence against women, a problem that is widespread globally. Despite advances made in the fight for gender equality, we are still a long way from achieving full equality between men and women.
Gender equality is essential for sustainable development and poverty eradication. It improves the chances of a child being educated and healthy, helps reduce infant mortality rates, increases the productivity of women in the workplace, and boosts the economy.
When women are able to participate in decision-making at the local, national, and global levels, they bring a powerful voice for advancing women’s rights. They often advocate for policies that help their communities achieve economic prosperity, improve educational opportunities, and protect women from harm.
For example, they work to ensure that women have the right to own property, vote, run for office, and earn fair wages. They also support women who are victims of gender-based violence.
The Universal Declaration on Human Rights includes gender equality as a fundamental human right. It also calls on states to promote gender equality and the elimination of all forms of discrimination based on gender.
There are many international documents and institutions that help ensure that women have equal rights, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). This document sets out basic legal standards for preventing and reducing discrimination against women in education, marriage, labor and political participation.
It is also important to ensure that women are protected from all forms of violence, such as sexual assault and female genital mutilation. There are various conventions that have been developed to combat these issues, such as the Istanbul Convention and the United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women.
Some of these international standards are ratified by all countries, including the United States. The Istanbul Convention, for example, was a landmark legal-binding agreement that criminalizes acts such as physical, mental and sexual violence, sexual harassment, forced marriage, and female genital mutilation.
In addition, a number of other UN and regional treaties have endorsed women’s rights. For example, the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women established a comprehensive policy agenda dedicated to promoting and protecting women’s rights worldwide.
Similarly, the UN Security Council has urged states to abide by all relevant international humanitarian and human rights laws. For example, in the aftermath of armed conflict, state parties should adhere to international humanitarian law and UN human rights principles and practices.
Land tenure: When a woman has secure individual or communal land rights, it can provide an important social safety net for her and her family. This can be particularly beneficial in rural communities where land is customarily held by men and where single mothers or widows are at risk of poverty.