07 - WOMEN RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS

Women Rights are Human rights signifies that the rights of women and girls are fundamental human rights, encompassing the right to live free from violence, discrimination, and the ability to participate fully in all aspects of life. 

In 1995, Hillary Rodham Clinton, then First Lady of the United States, used the phrase in her speech at the UN Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, emphasizing the link between women's rights and human rights. 

The phrase gained prominence in the feminist movement and international discussions, particularly in the 1980s and 1990s, as a way to highlight the importance of addressing gender-based discrimination and inequality. 

Women are entitled to the same fundamental rights as men, including the right to life, freedom, education, and equal opportunities. 

Other rights include: the right to live free from violence, slavery, and discrimination; to be educated; to own property; to vote; and to earn a fair and equal wage. 

The United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948, establishes that everyone is equally entitled to the rights and freedoms set forth in the Declaration, without distinction of any kind, including sex.

UN Women is working to achieve a gender equal world by 2030, emphasizing that gender equality is not only a basic human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. 

WHERE DO WOMEN FEATURE IN THE CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY

EXAMPLES OF WOMEN IN TOP LEADERSHIP POSITIONS: LOCALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY

  • Rear Admiral Antonette Wemyss Gorman- first female officer to head the JDF (& attain a flag rank)

  • Mia Mottley- current prime minister of Barbados since 2018

  • US Vice President – Kamala Harris –historic win first female VP in the history of  the United States

  • Ketanji Brown Jackson--first Black woman on the USA Supreme Court

  • 19th Amendment to the US constitution– gave the women the right to vote that was denied to them that was enjoyed by male citizens.

  • For instance “married women couldn’t own property and had no legal claim to any money they might earn, and no female had the right to vote. Women were expected to focus on housework and motherhood, not politics.”