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 World Conferences on Women's Rights
1998: A Wonderful Year for Women’s Human Rights? The United Nations, Governments and the Human Rights of Women , Amnesty International
This paper looks at some of the reasons why the human rights of women were neglected in the United Nations and important developments that occurred between 1993 and 1995. On the eve of the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), this paper also looks at some steps that governments and the UN should be taking to implement outstanding commitments and to ensure the full integration of women’s human rights. Amnesty International is recommending that the 1998 session of the Commission on the Status of Women give full attention to implementation, particularly at the national level, of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. At its next session, the Commission on Human Rights should act to ensure that all the country and thematic mechanisms integrate fully a gender perspective in their work. Other recommendations concern UN reform; the role of the High Commissioner for Human Rights; ratification of human rights treaties; women as human rights experts; the treaty bodies; gender perspectives in the proposed international criminal court; and the use of gender inclusive language. The extracts from Amnesty International’s publications included in this report represent a fraction of the cases of women and girls that the organization has taken up. They will, Amnesty International trusts, remind readers of the grim reality of violations of the human rights of women. Amnesty International: Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

 
Cairo Programme of Action
The International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), held in 1994 in Cairo, adopted a Programme of Action which emphasizes that advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women and the elimination of all forms of violence against women are cornerstones of population and development-related programmes (principle 4). Governments were called upon to take full measures, including preventive action and rehabilitation of victims, to eliminate all forms of exploitation, abuse, harassment, and violence against women, adolescents and children. [Descriptors: Reproductive Rights - Overview, International]
http://www.iisd.ca/cairo.html

 
The Other Side of the Story: A Feminist Critique of Canada's National Response to the UN Questionnaire on the Implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action , Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action
This document identifies and analyzes some of the major problems with Canada's National Response to the UN Questionnaire on the Implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action. The Feminist Alliance for International Action (FAFIA) indicates where Canada includes programs that have been cut back, exaggerates its efforts, lists initiatives that it has no intention of implementing, omits key facts, and makes claims that are misleading or simply un1. Part two examines structural problems in implementing the Beijing Platform for Action. These problems include the marginalisation of women's organisations, the marginal position of Status of Women Canada, problems created by the division of powers, and lack of understanding on the part of decision-makers of the links between women's vulnerability to poverty and other equality issues.
http://www.fafia-afai.org/Bplus5/side_e.htm

 
Review of the Implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and the Outcome Documents of the Special Session of the General Assembly Entitled "Women 2000: Gender Equality, Development and Peace for the Twenty-First Century" , Commission on the Status of Women
This document is a review and appraisal of the progress made in national implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (PFA). The report is based on the responses to the questionnaire distributed by the United Nations (UN) secretariat to all member and observer states. The report begins with an introduction and background to the report. Part two provides an overview of the major trends in implementation of the PFA. Part three discusses the twelve critical areas of concern contained in the PFA as well as other issues including trafficking in women and girls, women and HIV/AIDS, Indigenous women, information and communication technologies, millennium development goals, and men and boys. Part four describes institutional arrangements and mechanisms for the advancement of women. The report concludes with priority areas for future action.
http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N04/636/83/PDF/N0463683.pdf

 
Preliminary Analysis of the Beijing+5 Outcome Document , Division for the Advancement of Women
This document notes that the Beijing+5 Outcome Document not only reaffirms the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (PFA), it also strengthens it and addresses new challenges that have arisen in the past five years. The document briefly describes a number of ways in which the Outcome Document reinforces the PFA and builds upon it.
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/followup/analysis.html

 
Beijing +10, 1995-2005: Review of the Implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action By the European Union , European Women's Lobby
This report reviews the European Union's (EU) implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action (PFA). It begins by presenting some statistics about equality between men and women in the EU. Next the report outlines the review process, describes gender equality in the United Nations (UN), and provides an overview of EU institutions including the specific mechanisms for gender equality. The report then assesses the EU's implementation of the twelve critical areas of concern in the PFA. For each area, the report presents the EU framework of policies; relevant legislation, programmes and projects; any obstacles and remaining gaps; and specific recommendations.
http://www.peacewomen.org/un/Beijing10%20/EWLB10.pdf

 
Further Actions and Initiatives to Implement the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action
This is the final document that was adopted by the plenary of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly. This session, entitled "Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century," was convened 5-9 June 2000 for the purpose of evaluating progress made in implementing the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women (FSAW) and the Beijing Platform for Action (PFA). Part II of this document describes, in general terms, achievements and obstacles in implementing the PFA's 12 critical areas for priority action. Part III identifies recent developments, such as globalisation, increasing economic disparities among and within nations, and scientific and technological change, which create new challenges to the complete implementation of the PFA. Part IV sets out actions that are needed to achieve "the full and accelerated implementation" of the PFA.
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/followup/ress233e.pdf

 
Gender Justice and Economic Justice: Reflections on the Five Year Reviews of the UN Conferences of the 1990's
This paper addresses the challenge of using the follow-up meetings to UN conferences to assert the need for both economic justice and gender justice in an increasingly globalized world. The authors' concerns include the proliferation of diverse forms of moral conservatism that systematically target women's self-determination. The authors discuss how this challenge manifested itself at the various UN conferences (World Conference on Human Rights, International Conference on Population and Development, Fourth World Conference on Women, etc.) and suggest lessons that women's activists should take from these conferences, specifically lessons from the Cairo +5 follow-up meetings to the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD).
http://www.dawn.org.fj/global/health/gender_justice.html

 
Part II: Feminism in International Law: Committee Report , International Law Association Committee on Feminism and International Law
This Report forms part of a series of four Reports on various aspects of women and migration. The report continues the work on trafficking introduced in the 2004 Berlin Interim Report. The main focus of the report is on the legal framework of women's international labor migration. The author references the Workers Convention, international human rights and labor law conventions. The Report discusses the legal and gendered aspects of of female migrant workers' mobility in relation to their migration status, and advocates for a rights based approach to international migration.

 
Consultation on the use of the Internet for the purpose of incitement to racial hatred, racial propaganda and xenophobia , Preparatory Committee for World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance
This report is the result of a request by the Commission on Human Rights to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to undertake a study on the use of the Internet to incite racial hatred and racist propaganda. A goal of the project was to explore means of promoting international cooperation by developing a program of human rights education over the Internet. The report is based on questionnaire responses received from 10 States, 1 United Nations body, 2 specialized agencies and 2 non-governmental organizations. The list of respondents is provided in the annex of the document. Although some states are at the embryonic stage of considering the issue of racism on the Internet, there were many suggestions for enhancing more positive use including: the possibility of documentation and registration; content filters; chat rooms for debates on the issues; and awareness raising through human rights educational tools. The report concludes by recognizing both the negative and positive aspects of the Internet as an information dissemination tool.
http://www.unhchr.ch/Huridocda/Huridoca.nsf/TestFrame/2feedaabf88e41ad802568bf00…

 
Canada's National Response to the UN Questionnaire on Implementation of the Beijing Platform of Action , Status of Women Canada
As part of the review and appraisal of the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action (PFA), United Nations (UN) Member States were asked to respond to a questionnaire to help identify and assess regional and international trends and to identify "best practices" in implementing the Beijing Platform for Action. This report is the response of the federal goverment of Canada. It provides an overview of trends, reviews financial and institutional measures, and summarizes implementation efforts in the PFA twelve areas of concern. Annex documents include responses from the provincial governments of New Brunswick, Ontario, and Quebec.
http://www.swc-cfc.gc.ca/pubs/unquestionnaire/unquestionnaire_1_e.html

 
The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action Turns 20 , UN Women
This report critiques the progress that has been made since the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA) was drafted in 1995. It provides a comprehensive overview of the progression and regression that has been made across all categories of women’s issues. In particular, it critiques progress that has been made in the fight for education, employment, political and institutional representation, and against violence and discrimination. The report recommends strategies to bridge the gap between policy creation and effective implementation. It also recommends that policymakers pay greater attention to the roots of discrimination and unequal power relations against women. 

 
Ravikant, Namratha S. , ICPD+5: Key Actions for the Further Implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action , UNFPA
In 1999 the United Nations General Assembly held a special follow-up session to the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). The General Assembly adopted a comprehensive text of key actions for the further implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action. Among other recommendations, the text calls for strong measures to promote the human rights of women, to strengthen the reproductive and sexual health, and to increase the reproductive rights focus in population and development policies and programmes.
http://www.unfpa.org/icpd/docs/icpd5/resolution/icpd5_eng.pdf

 
Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action , United Nations
The Declaration and Platform for Action (PFA) is the outcome document from the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing in 1995. The PFA comprehensively identifies the rights of women and asks governments to commit to protecting these rights. It identifies 12 critical areas of concern and sets out strategic objectives and actions.
http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/instree/e5dplw.htm

 
Durban Declaration and Programme of Action , United Nations
The Durban Declaration and Programme of Action is the outcome document from the 2001 United Nations World Conference Against Racism. It includes a call for governments to identify and address the the intersection of gender and racism. It recognizes that women and girls frequently experience racism and xenophobia differently, as they are subject to discrimination on grounds of their sex in addition to their race. The Declaration highlights the racial dimensions of trafficking in persons and also urges states to adopt immigration and refugee policies that extend protection to immigrant or refugee women subject to domestic violence. The Declaration also refers to the need for increased participation of women in the process of developing national and international policies to combat racism, and generally in all aspects of national and international decision-making.
http://www.unhchr.ch/huridocda/huridoca.nsf/(Symbol)/A.Conf.189.12.En

 
Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action , United Nations
The World Conference on Human Rights, held in 1993, adopted by consensus the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. The Conference took historic new steps to promote and protect the rights of women, children and indigenous peoples. The Vienna Declaration reaffirms international human rights principles and specifically emphasizes women's rights in various provisions and in a section on "the equal status and human rights of women".
http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu5/wchr.htm

 
Equality, Development and Peace , United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
This document examines progress made by girls and women since the 1995 Beijing conference, and discusses issues that need to be tackled for further gains to be made. The document addresses 10 issues: (1) the survival of females from pre-birth to womanhood; (2) discrimination against girls in early childhood; (3) the education of girls; (4) the challenges faced by adolescent girls; (5) maternal mortality; (6) the prevention of HIV/AIDS in girls and women; (7) violence against girls and women; (8) girls and women in armed conflict; (9) trafficking in girls; and (10) child labour. For each issue, the document describes key problems, sets out the relevant commitments in the Beijing Platform for Action (PFA), and provides examples of actions taken by UNICEF to implement these commitments.
http://www.unicef.org/publications/files/pub_equality_en.pdf

 
Measures taken and progress achieved in the follow-up to and implementation of the Fourth World Conference on Women and to the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, with an assessment of progress made on mainstreaming a gender perspective , United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
The report discusses achievements in implementing the Beijing Platform for Action (PFA). It considers the policy and strategy developments, the institutional arrangements made to facilitate implementation, the incorporation of gender equality into programme and operational activities, the support of entities specialized in the promotion of gender equality, and the inter-agency collaboration on gender equality at the national, regional and global levels. The report concludes by presenting recommendations for overcoming obstacles and challenges in implementing the PFA.
http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N04/642/47/PDF/N0464247.pdf

 
Copelon, Rhonda , Measures Taken by Entities of the United Nations System in Promoting the Implementation of the Twelve Critical Areas of Concern , United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
This report assesses the progress of United Nations (UN) entities in implementing the twelve areas of concern from the Beijing Platform for Action (PFA). Under each of the twelve areas (women and poverty, education and training of women, women and health, violence aginst women, women and armed conflict, women and the economy, women in power and decision-making, institutional mechanisms for the advancement of women, human rights of women, women and the media, women and the environment, and the girl-child), the document provides examples of actions taken by various UN entities such as the World Bank, UNESCO, the World Health Organization, UN-HABITAT, and the UNDP.
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/csw49/documents/E-CN-6-2005-CRP6-E.pdf

 
Companaro, Jocelyn , Regional Processes in Preparation for the Review of the Implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and the Outcome Documents of the Twenty-third Special Session of the General Assembly During the Forty-Ninth Session of the Commission on the Status , United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
This document is a report of the regional meetings held in preparation of the ten-year review and appraisal of the Beijing Fourth World Conference on Women. These meetings were attended by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and governments. The document briefly describes the meetings of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the Economic Commission for Africa, and the Economic Commission for Europe.
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/csw49/documents/E-CN-6-2005-CRP7-E.pdf

 
Agreed Conclusions of the Commission on the Status of Women on the Critical Areas of Concern of the Beijing Platform for Action 1996-2009 , United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women
The Commission on the Status of Women meets annually to formulate policy recommendations and monitor the implementation of their previous recommendations. After the Fourth World Conference for Women in Beijing in 1995, the Commission was mandated to regularly review the critical areas of concern from the Beijing Platform. In 1996, they were charged with identifying new issues affecting gender equality. This document compiles the conclusions from the Fourth World Conference, a fifteen-year review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform, and the outcomes of the twenty- third special session of the General Assembly in 2010. The conclusions focus on a variety of areas, but a number overarching themes emerge, such as the importance of the empowerment of women.
http://www.unwomen.org/~/media/Headquarters/Media/Publications/UN/en/AgreedConcl…

 
Building on Achievements: Women's Human Rights After Beijing , United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
This document reviews the progress made from 1995 to 2000 in realizing the commitments made by governments at the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing. The document begins by discussing the following basic principles and standards that were reaffirmed at the Beijing Conference: (1) women's rights ashuman rights, (2) the universality and indivisibility of all human rights, and (3) equality and non-discrimination. The document then highlights recent developments made with regard to four key issues: (1) reproductive health rights; (2) gender equality and property, land rights and inheritance; (3) gender equality and the family; and (4) trafficking in women and children. Finally, the document discusses steps taken by UN entities to implement the Beijing Platform for Action and steps that should be taken in the future.
http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu2/contribeijing.htm

 
Beijing at Ten: UNFPA's Commitment to the Platform for Action , United Nations Population Fund
In this report, the United Nations Population Fund (UNPFA) describes its commitment to the Beijing Platform for Action (PFA) with reference to its ongoing work in implementing the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). The report describes UNPFA's work for each of the twelve critical areas enumerated in the Beijing PFA and provides some specific examples of UNPFA programs in different countries. It concludes with UNPFA's commitment to the continued implementation of the Beijing PFA, especially through the ICPD Programme of Action.
http://www.unfpa.org/upload/lib_pub_file/368_filename_beijing-at-ten.pdf