Beijing Platform for Action. Chapter IV. B. Education and Training of Women – Paragraph 80(a)-(b)
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): The Good Men Project
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/10/09
Strategic objective B.1.
Ensure equal access to education
Actions to be taken
80. By Governments:
- Advance the goal of equal access to education by taking measures to eliminate discrimination in education at all levels on the basis of gender, race, language, religion, national origin, age or disability, or any other form of discrimination and, as appropriate, consider establishing procedures to address grievances;
- By the year 2000, provide universal access to basic education and ensure completion of primary education by at least 80 per cent of primary school-age children; close the gender gap in primary and secondary school education by the year 2005; provide universal primary education in all countries before the year 2015;
Beijing Declaration (1995)
The work of governments to ensure equitable and pervasive access to primary and secondary education is important. In that, it is a salient means to reduce the level of discrimination on the abovementioned levels.
The grievances may be numerous, but, probably more often than not, grievances are more legitimate than not. Often, what is seen is the dismissal of those with historic and present grievances by the privileged and the powerful, this creates a problem for the individuals without much power, fractured social movements, and work from the grassroots to garner a voice in society.
To those with the power and the privilege, this can be a blind spot, simply as a matter of course. The goal of equal access to education at all levels is important and relevant to the social movements now, especially in developing nation contexts.
Projecting forward from 1995, the document points to the provision of universal basic education and the completion of primary education. This alone would already be doing a lot to improve the circumstances of the least among us, nations and individuals.
Looking or examine 80% of the primary school-age children, we can see a gender gap then and now. Not for lack of ability, as per some chauvinist biological determinists – the some time Social Darwinists who do not believe in Darwin, the restrictions against women and girls by law can, in fact, be quite socially determinative about averages and the attitudes throughout centuries, unquestioned and unchallenged including the mythology enshrining them, can become influences as well, quite strong in fact.
The global education gender gap is real and needs to be taken seriously in order to implement proper solutions to the problem. We have the reached the year milestones. Question to you, dear reader: have we reached the goals set to be reached by those yearly milestones?
–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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