Beijing Platform for Action, Chapter II: Global Framework – Paragraph 10
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): The Good Men Project
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/09/04
10. Since the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace, held at Nairobi in 1985, and the adoption of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, the world has experienced profound political, economic, social and cultural changes, which have had both positive and negative effects on women. The World Conference on Human Rights recognized that the human rights of women and the girl child are an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of universal human rights. The full and equal participation of women in political, civil, economic, social and cultural life at the national, regional and international levels, and the eradication of all forms of discrimination on the grounds of sex are priority objectives of the international community. The World Conference on Human Rights reaffirmed the solemn commitment of all States to fulfil their obligations to promote universal respect for, and observance and protection of, all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, other instruments related to human rights and international law. The universal nature of these rights and freedoms is beyond question.
Beijing Declaration (1995)
The Beijing Declaration is intended to be a basis for the implementation of women’s rights. One of them is the core aspects of human rights that emerges in the form of universality, where the basic premise of human rights to have them for everyone. All people within the species. That includes women.
In fact, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a highly progressive document and fairminded in the inclusion of women into the moral sphere of consideration, where, historically and still at present in various areas, women were not thought of as being worth any ethical basis because men were the main players of the world worth that valuation.
Now, if we look at the contents of this particular paragraph, I am noticing the core factors for equality enshrined in the perspective of development and peace, which is important. Even more than two decades ago, these individuals saw these as valuable parts of the solution to gender inequality. Of course, if we glance at the stipulations throughout these international documents, we can garner an insight into the nation of the situation.
That being, the ways in which some of the worst situations for the world are harbored within the larger context of the mal- and mis-treatment of women. This makes the solutions to these problems in some ways easier and in other ways harder. They become easier because the undergirding issue is superordinate. They emerge from a larger more but not quite singular source.
It becomes harder because it adds an additional superordinate factor to the problem of dealing with the issues of women’s rights and the problems of peace, war, human rights, international law, and so on. As stated in this particular paragraph, there are recognitions about one decade prior to 1995, which was the year of the Beijing Declaration. There were, even then but not as much as now, “profound political, economic, social and cultural changes.”
These forms of changes are different but similar now. These produce a variety of changes to the world system with impacts for women. This creates issues in response. That is, how do we best move forward to consolidate the wins and improve on them, and remediate the losses and repair of their damages? It is not a simple issue. Indeed, we are coming to a head of sorts similar to that time. But the full and equal participation of women within the world system is something non-trivial and needs to be dealt with in a serious way.
Then if we look into the various areas mentioned in this and other documents – the economic, civil, political, social, and cultural lives of women, there is a genuine series of attempts, over decades, to work towards women’s equality in a variety of ways. By doing so, the equality of women can be more secure. In that, we can see the development of greater peace for women and men through the increased inclusion of women into the decision-making operations of the society, to give women some power in their ability to control their own lives and make policy recommendations from the perspectives of women on issues uniquely affecting women including issues of reproductive health.
All these provisions, statements, and and action plans, set about and built on for decades, have been the basis for the furtherance of the values of universality, dignity, and respect for all peoples and individuals through the actualization or realization of human rights including the work of the instantiation of women’s rights connected too many of the other issues plaguing the world.
–One can find similar statements in other documents, conventions, declarations and so on, with the subsequent statements of equality or women’s rights:
- The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the Preamble, Article 16, and Article 25(2).
- Convention Against Discrimination in Education (1960) in Article 1.
- The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966) in Article 3, Article 7, and Article 13.
- International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966).
- Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (1979).
- Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1984).
- The Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (1993).
- Beijing Declaration(1995).
- United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000).
- Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children (2000).
- The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa or the “Maputo Protocol” (2003).
- Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence or the Istanbul Convention (2011) Article 38 and Article 39.
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