The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted in 1995 at the UN’s Fourth World Conference in Beijing, was a rallying cry to embed gender equality and women’s rights in every facet of life.

The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), an international bill of rights for women, requires governments to end gender discrimination and affirms women’s rights to health services, including family planning. We support two critical documents for women’s rights that have followed the UN declaration. And we stand for the right of every woman to live equally and free from discrimination, no matter her sexuality or identity. We know female genital mutilation is a violation of girls’ rights, and must be eliminated. We stand for a woman’s right to decide if and when she has children, and to have high-quality health care that means she won’t die in pregnancy or during childbirth. We also stand for other rights that are vital for women’s equality. We want every woman and girl to realize the rights that are enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. These groups are working to ensure women can own property, vote, run for office, get paid fair wages, and live free from violence – including domestic violence, sexual assault, and harmful practices such as female genital mutilation. Global Fund for Women exists to support the tireless and courageous efforts of women’s groups who work every day to win rights for women and girls. It involves changing laws and policies, winning hearts and minds, and investing in strong women’s organizations and movements. Winning rights for women is about more than giving opportunities to any individual woman or girl it is also about changing how countries and communities work. Yet almost everywhere around the world, women and girls are still denied them, often simply because of their gender. These rights include the right to live free from violence, slavery, and discrimination to be educated to own property to vote and to earn a fair and equal wage.Īs the now-famous saying goes, “women’s rights are human rights.” That is to say, women are entitled to all of these rights. Women's rights are the fundamental human rights that were enshrined by the United Nations for every human being on the planet nearly 70 years ago.

Women’s human rights are essential to achieving gender justice globally.

Global Fund for Women’s approach focuses on winning rights for women, girls, and all historically marginalized people.

Declaration of the rights of woman