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Monitoring The UN > The UN and Human Rights International Women's Day - March 8 -
Background Putting women and women’s rights to equality on the global agenda is the moving force behind International Women’s Day. The idea of a day for women, celebrated all over the world, began at the beginning of this century in America and Europe. The focus was the movement for women’s rights and achieving universal suffrage for women. International Women’s Day really took hold between 1913 and 1917 when women held rallies either to protest the war or to express solidarity with their sisters. In December 1977 the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace. Since those early years, much progress has been made for women in developed and developing countries alike: in many countries, provisions guaranteeing the enjoyment of human rights without discrimination on the basis of sex have been included in constitutions; legal literacy and other measures have been introduced to alert women to their rights and to ensure their access to those rights; the world community has identified violence against women as a clear violation of women’s rights; incorporating gender perspectives into regular programmes and policies has become a priority at the United Nations and in many member states. Although much remains to be done to achieve full equality, the voices of women are being heard. March 8th provides an opportunity to pay tribute to the achievements of women and to highlight the needs and concerns of women on national, regional and global agendas. United Nations and Women's Rights Beginning with the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (1948), governments’ have pledged a commitment promoting women’s rights in a number of international treaties: the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966), and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (1979), the International Labour Organization and UNESCO Conventions to end gender-based discrimination and to ensure women's access to land and water resources, education and employment, and the Nairobi Forward-Looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women (1985), which recognized the important linkages between women's roles in development and the protection of the environment, and also adopted measures to enhance women's participation in national eco-system management and control of environmental degradation. The UN observed 1975 as International Women's Year and held the first world conference on women in Mexico City. Subsequently, two other UN conferences were held: Copenhagen (1980) and Nairobi (1985). In 1993, a new era in women’s rights was heralded at the International Conference on Human Rights in Vienna when conference delegates proclaimed women’s rights as human rights. In 1995, at the Fourth World Conference on Women, governments agreed to a detailed plan of action, the Beijing Platform for Action, to advance the rights of women. The UN will hold a Beijing +5 conference in June 2000 to consider progress achieved and forward-looking strategies. A number of UN bodies have been established to promote women’s rights in all societies around the world. The Commission on the Status on Women (CSW) was one of the first bodies established by the UN Economic and Social Council. Set up in 1946, CSW examines the progress towards women’s equality throughout the world and makes recommendations for promoting women’s rights in the political, economic and social fields. The Commission meets annually for a period of at least eight days, usually in March. The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) is a UN programme that promotes the economic and political empowerment of women in developing countries. It works within the UN system to link the needs and concerns of women to all critical areas on national, regional and international agendas. The International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW) was established in 1976 to serve as a vehicle to undertake policy research and training programmes at the international level to contribute to the advancement of women worldwide as equal partners. Based in Santo Domingo since 1983, INSTRAW is one of the few UN offices headquartered in a developing country. The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women was established under the terms of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), adopted by the General Assembly in December 1979. The Committee oversees the implementation of CEDAW by States parties. It is one of six human rights treaty monitoring bodies within the UN system. It is serviced by the Division for the Advancement of Women in New York. Examples of Issues Faced by Women Many problems faced by women arise as a direct consequence of their gender. For example: Trafficking of women - Every day, in countries around the world, women and girls, desperate for economic opportunity, and seeking to follow their dreams of a better life, are lured from home by promises of jobs and security. Sadly, they too often find themselves trapped in a nightmare, turned into prostitutes, imprisoned by employers, mistreated, sexually abused and often never seen nor heard from again. Women and health – Often women have different and unequal access to and use of basic health resources, including primary health services for the prevention and treatment of childhood diseases, malnutrition, anemia, and health care during and after pregnancy. Women in armed conflict – While entire communities suffer the consequences of armed conflict, women and girls are particularly affected because of their status in society and their gender. Women and poverty – More than 1 billion people in the world today, the great majority of whom are women, live in unacceptable conditions of poverty, mostly in developing countries. Violence against women - Women's lives continue to be endangered by violence which is directed at them simply because they are women. Violence against women knows no class, race, or age. It exists across all socio-economic groups, and it is a daily phenomenon in the lives of women throughout the world. Refugee women – Refugee women face ongoing violations of their human rights. Often, they are subject to unequal and inequitable access to food, water, shelter, and essential health care. Canadian Connections: Canada and Women's Issues In the international arena, Canada is considered a leader in terms of women's rights. Canada has been active in numerous United Nations forums (such as the Commission on the Status of Women, Commission on Human Rights, UNESCO, Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women) in supporting the advancement of women's concerns. Such involvement has also extended to other international forums, including the Commonwealth Women's Affairs Ministers Meetings, and the Organization of American States Inter-American Commission of Women. Even before the UN Decade for Women began in 1976, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) was supporting programmes that had a positive effect on women: in health, nutrition and income generation. Since producing its 1976 guidelines and releasing its innovative 1984 policy on Women in Development (WID), CIDA has worked consistently – both internally, and with its partners, other donors, and international institutions – to promote women’s full participation as both agents and beneficiaries of development. In 1995, CIDA expanded its WID policy into a WID and Gender Equality policy. CIDA has observed the links between the status of women and the attainment of other social and economic objectives, and in reaction CIDA has developed strategies to address the increasing feminization of poverty, and to empower women to both earn sustainable livelihoods and influence political and economic decision makers. CIDA achieves its policy objectives through different means. For example, Policy Dialogue through which CIDA and its partners exchange views and information; and Programming Frameworks through which CIDA works with its partners to link its programming priorities with the projects that CIDA supports. Other significant Canadian achievements in the field of women’s issues and rights include:
Suggested Activities for International Women's Day Many activities about women’s issues can be planned. The following are only examples of the kinds of activities which can be organized to mark International Women’s Day:
Useful Links to Other Sites Concerning Women The Following links provide information on International Women's Day on women's issues
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