Our Values Are

Historical Context

The phrase "Women's Rights Are Human Rights" gained global recognition when then-First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton delivered her landmark speech at the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China, on September 5, 1995. Standing before representatives from 189 countries, Clinton powerfully declared:

This statement wasn't merely rhetorical – it represented a paradigm shift in how the international community approached women's rights. Historically, women's issues had often been relegated to separate, often less influential, policy domains. By explicitly linking women's rights to the established framework of universal human rights, Clinton's speech challenged the notion that violations against women could be dismissed as cultural, private, or less significant than other human rights concerns.2

The 1995 Beijing Conference itself marked a pivotal moment in the global women's rights movement. The resulting Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted unanimously by all participating countries, established comprehensive commitments for advancing women's equality across 12 critical areas, including education, health, violence against women, armed conflict, economic participation, and decision-making power.3

However, the concept that women's rights are inherently human rights predates the Beijing Conference. The idea has roots in early feminist movements, from suffragists fighting for voting rights to labor activists demanding workplace protections. The 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), often described as an international bill of rights for women, formalized many of these principles in international law.4

Throughout history, women's rights activists have consistently worked to demonstrate that issues affecting women's lives—from domestic violence to reproductive health to economic opportunity—are not separate from or subordinate to "mainstream" human rights concerns but are fundamental human rights issues that affect the well-being of entire societies.

Current Challenges

Despite significant progress in recognizing women's rights as human rights over the past decades, substantial challenges persist globally:

Political Representation and Decision-Making

While women's political participation has increased, gender parity remains distant. As of 2024, women hold only about 26.5% of parliamentary seats worldwide.5 This underrepresentation affects policy priorities and resource allocation, often leaving women's concerns inadequately addressed.

In countries with higher representation, research shows that women legislators are more likely to prioritize issues like family leave, childcare, gender-based violence, and healthcare access.6 The correlation between women's political power and policies supporting gender equality demonstrates why equal representation remains crucial.

Economic Inequality

The gender pay gap persists globally, with women earning approximately 77 cents for every dollar earned by men.7 This disparity widens for women of color, women with disabilities, and those from other marginalized groups.

Women continue to bear disproportionate responsibility for unpaid care work—estimated at 3.2 times more hours than men spend globally—limiting their participation in the formal economy.8 Additionally, women face barriers to accessing credit, land ownership, and inheritance rights in many jurisdictions, hampering their economic independence.

Gender-Based Violence

The World Health Organization estimates that about 1 in 3 women worldwide experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, a statistic that remained alarmingly consistent even before the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated domestic violence rates.9

Digital spaces have created new frontiers for gender-based harassment, with online violence disproportionately targeting women, particularly those with public profiles or those who speak out on gender issues.10

Reproductive Rights and Healthcare

Access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare remains uneven globally, with restrictions on abortion access increasing in some regions. In the United States, the 2022 reversal of Roe v. Wade eliminated the federal constitutional right to abortion, leaving access determined by state laws.11

Maternal mortality—largely preventable with proper healthcare—continues to claim hundreds of thousands of women's lives annually, with 94% of these deaths occurring in low and lower-middle-income countries.12

Intersectional Challenges

Women's experiences vary dramatically based on their intersecting identities. Women of color, indigenous women, women with disabilities, LGBTQ+ women, and those from religious minorities often face compounded discrimination and barriers.

For example, in the United States, Black women are 3-4 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women.13 Transgender women face particularly high rates of violence, discrimination, and barriers to healthcare access worldwide.14

Backlash and Regression

Recent years have witnessed concerning rollbacks of women's rights in various countries. This includes restrictions on reproductive rights, weakening of gender-based violence protections, and policies limiting women's autonomy.

Some political movements explicitly reject the framework of women's rights as human rights, instead promoting "traditional family values" that often limit women's roles and freedoms.15

What We Can Do

Advancing the principle that women's rights are human rights requires action at multiple levels:

Individual Actions

• Challenge stereotypes and biases in your own thinking and interactions. Recognize and address unconscious bias in your personal and professional life.

• Amplify women's voices by citing women experts, sharing women's work, and ensuring women have opportunities to speak in meetings and public forums.

• Support women-owned businesses and organizations working for gender equality through your consumer choices and charitable giving.

• Educate yourself and others about women's rights issues globally and locally. Share information through conversations and social media to raise awareness.

• Involve men and boys in conversations about gender equality, emphasizing that women's rights benefit entire communities.

Community and Organizational Actions

• Implement gender-responsive policies in workplaces, including equal pay practices, family-friendly policies, and effective sexual harassment prevention.

• Create mentorship and leadership development programs that support women's advancement.

• Support local women's shelters, clinics, and advocacy organizations through volunteering, donations, and partnerships.

• Establish inclusive decision-making processes that ensure women's perspectives inform community planning and resource allocation.

• Hold educational events about women's rights issues to build local awareness and engagement.

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Political and Systemic Actions

• Vote for candidates who support women's rights and hold elected officials accountable for their positions and actions on gender equality.

• Advocate for policy changes supporting gender equality, including paid family leave, childcare access, equal pay legislation, and protection from gender-based violence.

• Push for the ratification of CEDAW in countries that haven't yet ratified it (including the United States).

• Support increased representation of women in political and leadership positions through campaign contributions, volunteer work, and voting.

• Call for gender-responsive budgeting that analyzes how public resources impact women and men differently and adjusts allocations to promote equality.

Digital and Media Actions

• Challenge sexist content and hate speech online while promoting positive representations of women.

• Support media that portrays women as complex, multi-dimensional individuals rather than stereotypes.

• Create and share content highlighting women's achievements and rights issues to counter historical erasure and present-day marginalization.

• Protect yourself and others from online harassment by using available security features and reporting abusive content.

Business and Economic Actions

• Implement transparent pay practices and conduct regular audits to identify and address pay gaps.

• Establish family-friendly workplace policies including flexible scheduling, remote work options, paid family leave, and childcare support.

• Create procurement practices that prioritize diverse suppliers, including women-owned businesses.

• Ensure diverse representation at all levels of organizations, particularly in leadership and board positions.

Organizations Working for Women's Rights

If you're looking to support or learn more about women's rights, these organizations are doing important work:

Global Organizations

• UN Women - The United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women

• Women's Global Network for Reproductive Rights - An international network advocating for sexual and reproductive health and rights

• Equality Now - Working for legal and systemic change to address violence and discrimination against women

• Women Deliver - Advocating for gender equality and the health and rights of girls and women

• Global Fund for Women - Funding women-led organizations around the world

Regional and National Organizations

• National Women's Law Center (US) - Fighting for gender justice through policy advocacy and litigation

• European Women's Lobby (Europe) - The largest umbrella organization of women's associations in the EU

• FEMNET (Africa) - The African Women's Development and Communication Network

• Women's Rights Center (Caribbean) - Advocating for women's human rights in the Caribbean region

• Asian Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (Asia-Pacific) - A feminist regional network promoting women's human rights

Issue-Specific Organizations

• Girls Not Brides - Working to end child marriage

• Women's Media Center - Focused on media representation of women

• Girls Who Code - Working to close the gender gap in technology

• Mothers Against Drunk Driving - Founded by mothers to reduce drunk driving and support victims

• Malala Fund - Working for girls' education globally

Conclusion

The declaration that "Women's Rights Are Human Rights" represents more than a slogan—it's a fundamental reframing of how societies should value and protect all their members. When we recognize that women's rights are not special interests but essential components of universal human rights, we strengthen not only the lives of women and girls but the fabric of entire communities.

The struggle for women's rights continues globally, with both progress and setbacks occurring simultaneously across different regions. By understanding the historical context, recognizing current challenges, and taking concrete actions at all levels, each of us can contribute to advancing the principle that women's rights are, indeed, human rights.

As we display and share the Our Values Are image with its declaration that "WOMEN'S RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS," we reaffirm our commitment to this fundamental principle and invite others to join in creating a world where all people—regardless of gender—can live with dignity, freedom, and opportunity.

References

1. Clinton, H. R. (1995). Remarks to the U.N. 4th World Conference on Women Plenary Session. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/esa/gopher-data/conf/fwcw/conf/gov/950905175653.txt

2. Bunch, C. (1990). Women's Rights as Human Rights: Toward a Re-Vision of Human Rights. Human Rights Quarterly, 12(4), 486-498.

3. United Nations. (1995). Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/beijing/platform/

4. United Nations. (1979). Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Retrieved from https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-elimination-all-forms-discrimination-against-women

5. Inter-Parliamentary Union. (2024). Women in Politics: 2024. Retrieved from https://www.ipu.org/resources/publications/infographics/2024-03/women-in-politics-2024

6. O'Brien, D. Z., & Rickne, J. (2016). Gender Quotas and Women's Political Leadership. American Political Science Review, 110(1), 112-126.

7. International Labour Organization. (2023). Global Wage Report 2022-23: The Impact of Inflation and COVID-19 on Wages and Purchasing Power. Geneva: ILO.

8. Oxfam International. (2020). Time to Care: Unpaid and Underpaid Care Work and the Global Inequality Crisis. Retrieved from https://www.oxfam.org/en/research/time-care

9. World Health Organization. (2021). Violence Against Women Prevalence Estimates, 2018. Geneva: WHO.

10. UN Women. (2020). Online and ICT-facilitated violence against women and girls during COVID-19. Retrieved from https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2020/04/brief-online-and-ict-facilitated-violence-against-women-and-girls-during-covid-19

11. Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, 597 U.S. ___ (2022).

12. World Health Organization. (2023). Maternal Mortality. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/maternal-mortality

13. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternal-mortality/pregnancy-mortality-surveillance-system.htm

14. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. (2022). The struggle of trans and gender-diverse persons. Retrieved from https://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/ie-sexual-orientation-and-gender-identity/struggle-trans-and-gender-diverse-persons

15. Roggeband, C., & Krizsán, A. (2020). Democratic backsliding and the backlash against women's rights: Understanding the current challenges for feminist politics. UN Women Discussion Paper Series, No. 35.