João Vitor Redondo, intern at UNRIC Portuguese desk in Brussels
Ensuring fundamental rights provides a strong basis for improving the status and empowering women. Right from its inception, the United Nations has clearly shown its determination to promote and protect the equal rights of women. Particular impetus was given by the adoption the Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in 1967 and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women in 1979. A more recent development is found in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which reflect the continued commitment of the UN to the advancement of women.
MDG number one – to end poverty and hunger – implicitly recognises the increasing feminisation of poverty and emphasises the importance of providing women with job opportunities and fair wages. The second MDG – universal primary education – reflects the concern, among other things, to ensure that women will be able to complete the full course of primary schooling.
The third goal – gender equality – is crucial since by ensuring that girls and women will have access to primary, secondary and tertiary education on an equal footing with boys and men, it enables them to have access to well-paid work, to have control of their own lives and to participate in the political and social spheres. The fourth goal – child health – is extremely relevant because educated mothers are more likely to properly protect their children’s health.
The maternal health goal (MDG number five) is a particularly important goal due to the unacceptably high number of women who are still at risk of death due to complications during pregnancy or childbirth, especially in the developing countries. Also, the number of pregnant adolescents is worryingly high, which shows the need to provide young girls with sexual and reproductive health information and services. Finally, the sixth goal – combat HIV/AIDS – is particularly relevant because women represent a increasing number of people who live with HIV, as a result of their low status and consequent vulnerability, for example. Therefore, it is vital that women have access to information as well as to preventative health care and treatment.
Access to education and information are essential to empower women. Vocational training is also instrumental in building women’s capacity to allow them to have a job or start a business, for example. The establishment of women’s associations also plays a role in women’s empowerment by enabling them to better defend their rights and gain experience in several areas such as participation in the social and political life of their societies.
Women’s empowerment is a major global challenge that is far from being met. It is important that society not forget that gender bias is still a reality in many places. In this regard, governments and organizations should redouble their efforts to overcome this problem, the media should continue to reveal and decry discriminatory practices around the world. We must ensure the fundamental rights exist so that women can continue to empower themselves and control their futures without limitation. ■
Ensuring fundamental rights provides a strong basis for improving the status and empowering women. Right from its inception, the United Nations has clearly shown its determination to promote and protect the equal rights of women. Particular impetus was given by the adoption the Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in 1967 and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women in 1979. A more recent development is found in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which reflect the continued commitment of the UN to the advancement of women.
MDG number one – to end poverty and hunger – implicitly recognises the increasing feminisation of poverty and emphasises the importance of providing women with job opportunities and fair wages. The second MDG – universal primary education – reflects the concern, among other things, to ensure that women will be able to complete the full course of primary schooling.
The third goal – gender equality – is crucial since by ensuring that girls and women will have access to primary, secondary and tertiary education on an equal footing with boys and men, it enables them to have access to well-paid work, to have control of their own lives and to participate in the political and social spheres. The fourth goal – child health – is extremely relevant because educated mothers are more likely to properly protect their children’s health.
The maternal health goal (MDG number five) is a particularly important goal due to the unacceptably high number of women who are still at risk of death due to complications during pregnancy or childbirth, especially in the developing countries. Also, the number of pregnant adolescents is worryingly high, which shows the need to provide young girls with sexual and reproductive health information and services. Finally, the sixth goal – combat HIV/AIDS – is particularly relevant because women represent a increasing number of people who live with HIV, as a result of their low status and consequent vulnerability, for example. Therefore, it is vital that women have access to information as well as to preventative health care and treatment.
Access to education and information are essential to empower women. Vocational training is also instrumental in building women’s capacity to allow them to have a job or start a business, for example. The establishment of women’s associations also plays a role in women’s empowerment by enabling them to better defend their rights and gain experience in several areas such as participation in the social and political life of their societies.
Women’s empowerment is a major global challenge that is far from being met. It is important that society not forget that gender bias is still a reality in many places. In this regard, governments and organizations should redouble their efforts to overcome this problem, the media should continue to reveal and decry discriminatory practices around the world. We must ensure the fundamental rights exist so that women can continue to empower themselves and control their futures without limitation. ■
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