Gender equality is at the heart of human rights and UN values. A founding principle of the UN Charter, adopted by world leaders in 1945, is “the equal rights of men and women,” and all states have a responsibility to protect and promote women’s rights.
Yet millions of women around the world continue to be discriminated against:
- Laws and policies deny women equal access to land, property and housing
- Economic and social discrimination leads to limited life choices for women, making them vulnerable to trafficking
- Gender-based violence affects at least 30% of women worldwide
- Women are denied their sexual and reproductive rights
- Women human rights defenders are shunned from their communities and considered a threat to religion, honor or culture
- Women’s crucial role in peace and security is often overlooked, as are the particular risks they face in conflict situations
Moreover, some groups of women face multiple forms of discrimination simultaneously with gender due to factors such as age, ethnicity, disability and socioeconomic status.
Effective women’s rights require first and foremost a comprehensive understanding of the social structure and power relations that shape not only laws and policies, but also economic and social dynamics, as well as family and community life.
Harmful gender stereotypes must be erased so that women are no longer seen in light of what they “should” do, but rather in terms of who they are: unique individuals with their own needs and desires.