Women's Human Rights Resources Database

This database lists hundreds of resources -- articles, documents and links -- related to international women's rights law and Canadian women's rights law. Annotations describe the content of each resource. Users can search by keyword and author as well as browse by women's rights topic. Full-text documents or links to full-text documents are provided where available.
Search Results for content type Document categorized with Race and Gender
Canada : Submission to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination , Amnesty International
This was a 2017 submission to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination reviewing Canada’s 21st and 23rd periodic reports at the 93rd session of the Committee. It identifies certain developments, such as the 2016 National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, as positive. However, it heavily critiques Canada’s treatment of Indigenous peoples, and specifically in section 2.1, Indigenous women and girls. Amnesty International made five recommendations regarding Indigenous women and girls, including the implementation of a National Action Plan on Violence Against Women that sees the cooperation of federal, provincial, and territorial governments, as well as working closer with Indigenous peoples on programming to achieve culturally relevant support and substantive equality for Indigenous women and girls. 
https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/AMR20/6620/2017/en/

 
From Promises to Delivery: Putting Human Rights at the Heart of the Millennium Development Goals (2010) , Amnesty International
This report focusing on the Millennium Development Goals features sections on womens human rights and indigenous women. The report notes that women account for 70 percent of people living in poverty, due in part to lack of sexual and reproductive health services. The report notes that indigenous women experience increased discrimination in some countries where they experience significantly higher rates of violence and less access to police protection and the justice system, and that there is often a disparity in health maternal risks between indigenous and non-indigenous women. The report draws attention to the states failure to protect human rights defenders and the detrimental effect that failure has on womens rights in general. Among its recommendations, the report suggests that states fulfill their obligations under international human rights law by identifying and addressing gender discrimination within their institutional frameworks.
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/IOR41/012/2010/en/9b4144aa-c964-4a08-ab9…

 
Submissions to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights: Violation of Human Rights of Women in Asia , Asia Legal Resource Center
This paper prepared by the Asia Legal Resource Center and featured in the newsletter "Human Rights Solidarity", highlights systematic violations of women's human rights in Burma, India and Pakistan. The paper begins by noting that substantive gender equality goals of the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action, have generally not been realized, and, in spite of efforts by some, women continue to be barred from equal participation in society. The paper looks at the abuse and discrimination many women still face by virtue of their sex. It briefly describes the situation of women and children in Burma, which is noted as having one of the longest civil wars of this century. This war has given rise to a refugee crisis, prostitution of women, and crimes such as rape against women and girl children. In India, problems associated with the caste system are considered by examining the situation of the Dalit population and specifically Dalit women who face multiple discrimination on the basis of gender, caste and from their own menfolk. Lastly, sexual harassment and violence against women in Pakistan is addressed.
http://www.hrsolidarity.net/mainfile.php/2000vol10no04/398/

 
Wallace Rebecca M. , Intersectionality: A Tool for Gender and Economic Justice , Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID)
This document gives an overview of the concept of "intersectionality" and how the concept can be used by advocates to address the multiple forms of oppression experienced by women. The document begins by describing that intersectionality encompasses the idea that people can simultaneously experience oppression and privilege depending on the context of the situation. The document contends that intersectionality is an important theoretical tool because it more accurately reflects the reality of the discrimination faced by different women. The document concludes by providing methodologies for utilizing intersectionality in advocating for women's human rights.
https://www.awid.org/sites/default/files/atoms/files/intersectionality_a_tool_fo…

 
Commentary and Background Information on the CERD General Recommendation on Gender Dimensions of Racial Discrimination
This document explains the critical analysis behind the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination's (CERD) General Recommendation on Gender Dimensions of Racial Discrimination and places the general recommendation within the context of developments in understandings of equality in the international human rights system. (Note that the General Recommendation itself is annotated on the WHRR database).

 
Fact Sheet No.12, "Racial discrimination: the United Nations takes action" , Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
This Fact Sheet discusses United Nations action to eliminate racial discrimination. It outlines the four principle points of the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. It discusses the establishment of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) and describes the composition, mandate and work of the Committee. The full text of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) is provided.
http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu6/2/fs12.htm

 
General Recommendation No. 25 on Gender Related Dimensions of Racial Discrimination , Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
This General Recommendation is of particular significance in that it explicitly recognizes that racial discrimination does not always affect women and men in the same way. Racial discrimination, therefore, will often escape detection if it is not understood in the context of gendered life experiences. The Committee expresses its commitment to integrating gender perspectives into its work and to that end, requests that State Parties include gender specific information in their reports to the Committee.
http://www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/(Symbol)/76a293e49a88bd23802568bd00538d83

 
Notes on Gender and Racial Discrimination: An Urgent Need to Integrate an Intersectional Perspective to the Examination and Development of Policies, Strategies and Remedies For Gender and Racial Equality , EuroWRC Resource Center
The author contends that intersectionality has recently been recognized in international fora, but that there is still a lack of an intersectional approach to eliminating discrimination at a national level. The author focuses on women's experiences of domestic violence, immigration laws, the criminal justice system and the multicultural approach to "show how these sites of intersectional discrimination create and perpetuate the multiple disadvantages women face." The author provides a brief background to intersectional discrimination before providing concrete examples from the United Kingdom. The author concludes with recommendations to the United Nations system and national governments to identify and address the multiple effects of discrimination on marginalized women.
http://www.eurowrc.org/13.institutions/5.un/un-en/12.un_en.htm

 
Gender and Race Intersectionality Issues Paper , Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
This report by the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission states that it is premised on the belief that racially disadvantaged women have a qualitatively different experience of racism and sexism. This report begins by discussing the nature of race and gender disadvantage and notes that the experience of discrimination is contextual. The report then provides a brief description of the structure and inadequacies of the United Nations (UN) human rights and Australian anti-discrimination systems. The report discusses the growing recognition of the intersectionality between race and gender and concludes with ways to further incorporate this perspective into the UN system.
http://www.humanrights.gov.au/worldconference/aus_gender.html

 
Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence Against Women , Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
This is the first and only multilateral human rights treaty that focuses exclusively on violence against women. It was adopted in 1994. The Convention sets out the definition and scope of application, the rights protected, the duties of States, and the Inter-American mechanisms of protection. The Convention affirms "that violence against women pervades every sector of society regardless of class, race or ethnic group, income, culture, level of education, age or religion and strikes at its very foundations." The Convention provides a broad definition of violence, which includes acts that occur in the private or public sphere. The Convention recognizes that women may be particularly vulnerable to violence due to their race or ethnic background. Article 6 provides that the right to be free from violence includes the right to be free from all forms of discrimination. [Descriptors: Race and Gender, Key Texts, Violence Against Women, International - Latin America, International - North America]
http://www.oas.org/juridico/english/treaties/a-61.html

 
The Interconnections of Globalization and Migration with Racism and Colonialism: Tracing Complicity
This article available on the December 18 website, looks at the complex relationship between racism and colonialism as they relate to globalization and migration. The author addresses issues of "boundaries, exclusion, complicity and accountability", and argues that racism and colonialism are the root causes of many human rights violations that force individuals from Third World nations to flee. The article discusses forced migration patterns in various countries. It posits that global markets, structural adjustment programs and militarism are essentially new forms of control. The article concludes that an understanding of the coalescing matrix of oppression (i.e., capitalism, militarism, patriarchy, racism and colonialism) is instructive in deconstructing racist systems and policies and assigning accountability. Although this document does not focus on women, it's approach can be useful in understanding race and gender issues.
http://www.december18.net/web/general/start.php

 
Handbook for Legislation on Violence Against Women , UN Division for the Advancement of Women
This handbook is intended to help States and stakeholders develop and enhance existing laws to protect women based on the results of an expert group meeting by the UN Division for the Advancement of Women. The handbook outlines the international and regional legal and policy frameworks which mandate States to enact and implement comprehensive and effective laws addressing violence against women. A model framework for legislation is offered, which includes recommendations on legislative content and examples of best practices. The handbook also identifies considerations relevant to drafting legislation on violence against women.
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/vaw/handbook/Handbook%20for%20legislation%20on%…

 
Gender and racial discrimination: Report of the Expert Group Meeting , United Nations Development Fund for Women
This report is from a joint meeting of three United Nations (UN) agencies which considered the intersection of race and gender discrimination in three areas: discrimination directed toward women and girls; the disadvantages, obstacles and difficulties women face in the enjoyment of economic, social, cultural, political and civil rights; and measures to eliminate the effects of racism on women and girls and the provision of remedies and redress. The report begins by presenting background information on the separation of race and sex discrimination within the UN system and the global context of gender and racial discrimination. The report then describes the intersection of race and gender discrimination. This report concludes with recommendations to governments and UN bodies and agencies on utilizing an intersectional approach.
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/genrac/report.htm