© 2006 Human Rights of Women Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Austria

© 2006 „The advancement of women and the achievement of equality between women and men are a matter of human rights and a condition for social justice and should not be in isolation as a women‘s issue.“ Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action Human Rights of Women

© 2006 ►human rights belong to everybody without any distinction because of the sex of a person ►de-jure equality often results in de-facto discrimination => special attention needed ►the concept of „gender“ helps to understand different responsibilities, roles and positions in society of women and men alike. Human Rights of Women

© 2006 History ►French Revolution: Declaration of the Rights of the Woman and Female Citizen, 1789, written by Olympe des Gouges ►Great Britain: „Motherland of Feminism“, battle for more rights started in the 1830s ►United States of America: Human Rights of Women

© 2006 Institutions for the advancement of women ►1888: International Council of Women, Paris ►1928: Inter-American Commission on Women (CIM), for the Latin-American Region ►1946: Commission for the Status of Women (CSW) within the framework of the United Nations ►1946: Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW) within the UN-framework Human Rights of Women

© 2006 Women‘s issues in the UN ►UN Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace (1976 to 1985) ►Four World Conferences on Women: Mexico City (1975), Copenhagen (1980), Nairobi (1985) and Beijing (1995) ►World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna (1993) ►Beijing+5 in 2000: GA 23rd Special Session ►Beijing+10 in 2005: at the CSW session in March Human Rights of Women

© 2006 International Treaties ►Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW): adopted in 1979, in force since 1981 ►Optional Protocol to CEDAW: adopted in 1999, in force since 2000 features an individual complaints procedure and an inquiry procedure Human Rights of Women

© 2006 Beijing Platform for Action ►Outcome of the fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995 ►Identifies 12 critical areas of concern: poverty educationarmed conflict violenceenvironmenthuman rights media economy decision making healthgirl child institutional mechanisms Human Rights of Women

© 2006 Implementation and Monitoring ►Human rights education ►Women should monitor state performance ►Lobby for the ratification of the Optional Protocol to CEDAW ►Training of female advocates in the use of human rights mechanisms ►Provide shadow reports to regional or international institutions Human Rights of Women

© 2006 Good Practices ►New interpretation of existing HR documents – see GC 28 on Article 3 of the ICCPR ►New language of existing HR documents – CLADEM facilitated a new, gender sensitive formulation of the UDHR ►New documents: e.g. Additional Protocol on Right of Women to the African Charter on Human And Peoples Rights, into force since November 2005 ►New education material: e.g. Video by PDHR „Women hold up the Sky“ ►New projects: e.g. Terre des Femmes campaign against Trafficking in Human Beings Human Rights of Women

© 2006 Chronology 1953Convention on the Political Rights of Women 1967Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women 1975First World Conference on Women, Mexico City 1976UN Decade on Women: Equality, Peace and Development 1979Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women 1980Second World Conference on Women, Copenhagen 1985Third World Conference on Women, Nairobi 1994Establishment of the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women Human Rights of Women

© 2006 Chronology 1994Belém do Pará Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence against Women 1995Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing 1998Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court 1999Optional Protocol to CEDAW 2000Protocol to the Palermo Convention, to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children 2000“Beijing+5” 2003Add. Protocol on Rights of Women to the African Charter of Human and People’s Rights 2005“Beijing+10” Human Rights of Women