Women’s Rights

© Oxfam photo Geoff Sayar, Uganda

© Oxfam photo Rajendra Shaw, India

Women’s Rights are Human Rights

© Oxfam photo Annie Bungeroth, Zimbabwe

Women’s rights are human rights. In theory, women have never been overtly excluded from the concept of human rights. Yet, women today earn less than men, own less property than men, and have less access to education, employment, housing and health care.

Human Rights Abuses

© Oxfam Photo, Abbie Trayler-Smith, Yemen

Women and girls’ experiences with human rights abuse have been virtually ignored. Most of the: - casualties of war - world’s refugees -world’s poor are women and children.

Protecting Women’s Rights

Each of the human rights treaties in the next few slides, and the whole of the human rights framework are essential for the realization of women’s full spectrum of rights. - 

© Oxfam photo Annie Bungeroth, Sri Lanka

UDHR

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights stipulates that human rights apply to all people equally, “without distinction of any kind such as race, color, sex, language…or any other status”.

© Oxfam Photo- Gilvan Barrreto, Honduras

CEDAW

The Convention on the Elimination of All Form of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), was adopted by the UN in 1979. CEDAW was the first document to comprehensively address women’s rights within political, cultural, economic, social and family spheres.

© Oxfam photo, Howard Davies, Sri Lanka

DEVAW

The 1993 Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (DEVAW) set forth ways in which governments should act to prevent violence, and to protect and defend women’s rights. - 

© Oxfam photo Anonymous, South Africa

Violence Against Women

© Oxfam Photo, Aubrey Wade, Liberia

Violence against women is rooted in a global culture that discriminates against women and denies them equal rights with men. Women and girls more often face abuse from their employers, partners, husbands, families and community members.

Condoning Violence

When the state dismisses the majority of violence against women as private or domestic matters, thereby allowing this violence to continue, it sends a clear message that violence against women is condoned.

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© Oxfam photo Annie Bungeroth, Zimbabwe

Discrimination

Human rights violations against women are often complicated by further discrimination on the grounds of race, ethnicity, sexual identity, caste, religion, class or age.

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© Oxfam photo Jane Beesley, Kenya

© Oxfam photo Annie Bungeroth, Sri Lanka

State Responsibility

States have a responsibility when abuses against women are committed. Their obligations under international human rights law can be summarized under three categories: respect, protect and fulfill.

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© Oxfam photo Caroline Gluck, Uganda