Beijing Platform for Action, Chapter III: Critical Areas of Concern – Paragraph 41
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): The Good Men Project
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/09/19
41. The advancement of women and the achievement of equality between women and men are a matter of human rights and a condition for social justice and should not be seen in isolation as a women’s issue. They are the only way to build a sustainable, just and developed society. Empowerment of women and equality between women and men are prerequisites for achieving political, social, economic, cultural and environmental security among all peoples.
Beijing Declaration (1995)
The basic argument in the advancement of women and the international aim for the achievement of equality is the recognition of the human rights of women, which sits atop the more fundamental principle of women and girls as people, persons. Those non-objects deserving of some form of consideration, at a minimum, with the current ideals set for equality with men and boys.
Not an easy task. The moves for a more sustainable society is linked, in this particular article, with the just and developed society. These amount to three principles, which, in fact, produce results. Societies, as a rule, with more equality for women tend to have better wellbeing and productivity. For a couple of reasons, one of the basic: women enter the workforce in droves because women enjoy education and work tied to education.
Work is a great source of meaning. By doing so, the nation produces more because more people enter into the workforce. Typically, this has happened in stages with women restricted to particular roles and then expanded to most or all roles, at least in the legal setting but not necessarily smiled upon in culture, available in the society.
The move towards more women capable of living fulfilling lives creates the basis for more justice. In this sense, human rights are respected as men and women become more equal in societies, in terms of access, education, health and wellness, and opportunities. It may not necessarily reach identical numbers but this does not necessarily, except in truly egregious disparities, imply inequality in opportunity.
The more economic productivity of the society, the more human rights are respected, the more peace and prosperity – in other words – the society comes to appreciate. It is a wonderful thing. Through this, a just society would seem to match more equality, greater peace, better prosperity, and the expansion of possibilities of women – and men, as many of you know.
The Beijing Declaration in this core paragraph, the opening of Chapter III, remarks on the continued need for the empowerment of women and the equality of the sexes. Duly note, the emphasis here is the achievement of “political, social, economic, cultural and environmental security,” which is an interesting term to use: security. Especially as applied to all those domains, the intention appears to be the stability of these systems associated with the operations of a society.
The short of the long here: if you want a long-term developed society, the equality of the sexes should be among the top priorities; if you want a society to live with less development – so less socio-economic development and a decline in the wellbeing of its citizenry, then ignore the plight and concerns of women and work for more inequality, whether conscious policy or not.
–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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