The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action

Adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights held 1993, the Vienna Declaration states that "gender-based violence and all forms of sexual harassment and exploitation, including those resulting from cultural prejudice and international trafficking, are incompatible with the dignity and worth of the human person, and must be eliminated. This can be achieved by legal measures and through national action and international cooperation in such fields as economic and social development, education, safe maternity and health care, and social support" (paragraph 18). [Descriptors: Reproductive Rights - Overview, International]