Women’s Rights Are Human Rights

Twenty-five years ago, Hillary Rodham Clinton delivered a landmark speech at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. Her words were greeted with cheers and applause, but the energy in the room was focused on a single phrase: “Women’s rights are human rights.” It wasn’t just a slogan or a slogan of the day; it became one of the most enduring and influential ideas to emerge from the event. Today, the idea that women’s rights are human rights is widely accepted and even considered mainstream.

But many challenges remain. Women still face obstacles to economic equality, despite the fact that in most countries women make up half or more of the workforce. Women are more likely to live in poverty than men, and are less likely to have access to land, education, technology or natural resources. And they are more likely to experience violence at home or in the workplace, including rape and other forms of sexual assault.

In some areas, governments have made progress in addressing these problems. Angola, for example, criminalized sexual harassment in the workplace. Benin removed restrictions on construction jobs for women, and Burundi mandated equal remuneration for work of equal value. And in a record number of countries, women are now allowed to vote.

But a majority of Americans surveyed say that a lot more needs to be done to give women equal rights with men. And this is true of both women and men and across all parties. Among those who think that the country hasn’t yet come close to achieving gender equality, 77% say that sexual harassment is a major obstacle. A substantial share also cites the different expectations society holds for men and women, the “mommy track” for women, and lack of women in leadership positions as key obstacles.

Women also report facing a wide range of other barriers to equality. A plurality point to family responsibilities as a significant factor, and about a third name the lack of women in leadership roles or government and military positions. About a quarter of those surveyed mention that they believe that women don’t work as hard as men, and nearly a third point to pay discrimination against women as an issue.

Regardless of these and other obstacles, most of the public remains optimistic about a future in which women have equal rights with men. A median of 94% across 34 countries surveyed by the Pew Research Center think that it is important for women to have the same rights as men, and 74% say that this is very important.

This story is just the latest chapter in a long and sometimes contentious tradition of tireless women’s activists who fought for change, often against great odds. Their work should be celebrated, and their accomplishments recognized. The stories of their efforts are a reminder that, in the end, democracy is for everyone, not just for those who can afford it. It’s time to take this message to the next level, so that the rights of every woman are respected and protected.