Women Rights – Empowering Women and Girls to Transform Their Communities and Countries

Women rights are rights and opportunities that every woman and girl deserves to enjoy, including the right to equality, freedom from violence, access to education, health care, jobs, leadership positions and political participation. The goal of these rights is to empower women and girls to transform their communities and countries. They are also important for the global economy and sustainable development.

In the United States, more than nine-in-ten Americans across demographic and partisan groups say it is very important (79%) or somewhat important (18%) that women have equal rights with men. These rights include the right to vote, access to education and career advancement, and freedom from discrimination in employment, housing, banking, lending, and insurance.

These rights are embodied in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which most countries have ratified. In addition, 85% of the world’s UN member nations have a law in their constitution that addresses gender equality, such as laws banning child marriage and female genital mutilation or allowing women to challenge sex-based discrimination in court.

The history of the fight for women’s rights is a story of tireless activism and ingenious strategies that have pushed back against mighty odds. The efforts of those activists have had a profound impact on women’s lives and should be remembered in the same way we remember the work of the civil rights movement.

Today, women are well-educated and have a greater share of the labor force worldwide than ever before. Yet women continue to face inequality and obstacles that limit their full potential – from earning an income to having a voice in the workplace to choosing if, when and with whom they have children. This inequality is the source of widespread injustice and human rights abuses against women and girls, and it affects everyone.

Most people would agree that the United States has made progress on women’s rights over the past decade, but most adults also believe that there is more work to do. Eight-in-ten Democrats and 77% of Republicans say that the country hasn’t gone far enough to give women equal rights with men, and this divide is larger among those with more education.

When asked what a society with equal rights for women might look like, most respondents cite equality in the workplace – whether that’s equal pay or the elimination of discrimination against women in hiring and promotion. A smaller number of women mention other issues that would be key to a more equitable society, such as better maternity and paternity leave or more affordable child care.