World July 2005

History of Women's Suffrage. [World] During the mid-1900's, China, France, India, Italy, Japan, and other nations gave women the right to vote. By 1990, women had the right to vote in almost every country where men had the right. Some countries still did not allow many or all of the people to vote. Only Kuwait extended the vote to men but not to women.

Obstetric Fistula. [World] Fistula is a childbirth injury that has a devastating impact on the lives of girls and women. Usually caused by several days of obstructed labor, the consequences of fistula are life shattering: the baby usually dies, and the woman is left with a chronic inability to control her flow of urine or faeces. She is often abandoned or neglected by her family and ostracized by her community. Fistula is most common in poor communities in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia where access to or use of obstetric care is limited.

Educating Girls. [World] Worldwide, 58 million school-age girls are deprived of education. In rural Africa, about 70 percent of girls do not finish primary school. When officials of the richest countries meet at the Group of Eight summit meeting, they should strongly consider a large investment in schooling for girls.

Women Bear the Brunt of Human Rights Abuses. [World] Women and girls faced "horrific" levels of abuse in 2004 worldwide, Amnesty International said in its 2005 human rights review. From honor killings carried out by the victims' families to sexual violence used as a weapon of war, abuse frequently went unpunished and survivors were often abandoned by their own communities. Widespread rape and violence were attributed to a mix of "indifference, apathy and impunity".

The Chain of Poverty: Getting Girls into School is Crucial. [World] Every year, nine million more girls than boys are shut out of an education worldwide. A total of 65 million girls never see the inside of a classroom. There is no shortage of evidence that investing in girls' education is one of the best investments a country can make. Yet, despite all that we know, the world is in danger of failing to meet a simple goal for 2005: to make sure that as many girls as boys are in school.

Identifying Warning Signs of Fundamentalisms. [World] The rise of religious and cultural fundamentalisms poses a major threat to the gains made towards the realization of women's human rights. These fundamentalisms usually reinforce women's disadvantaged position in the society and there is a very real danger of them entering the political mainstream. Often the erosion of women's rights by fundamentalisms begins in a very insidious way. There is a need for "early warning systems" that would allow the identification of certain trends that are likely to develop into threats to women's rights. Early identification will enable the countering of these threats. Kathleen McNeil, writing for Women's Human Rights Network2, gives some early indicators of the possible rise of fundamentalist forces gaining political power.

Prostitution Pledge. [World] In countries like India, controlling AIDS among prostitutes and their clients is the key to keeping the disease from exploding into the general population. So some very effective programs are built around trying to make sure that prostitutes and their customers use condoms. The Bush administration … argue(s) that anything that makes life more tolerable for prostitutes encourages prostitution. The decision to strip American groups fighting AIDS overseas of their First Amendment right to speak as they please on prostitution opens the way to an attempt to keep Americans silent on abortion, too.

Sexual Abuses by UN Peacekeepers. [United Nations] The Security Council strongly condemned all acts of sexual abuse and exploitation committed by UN peacekeeping personnel, underlining the importance of maintaining zero tolerance for such abuses and advocating their investigation and punishment.

Treaty for the Rights of Women. [World] U.S. ratification of the Treaty will not require changes in our law. Ratification only requires nations to submit regular reports to an implementation committee. It could be a useful tool, however, for women continuing to fight for equality in the United States. In recent years, a number of studies show that women lawyers, scientists, journalists, congressional staff and other professionals lag behind their male counterparts. A variety of groups, from the American Bar Association to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, have even issued reports documenting a worsening of women's status in selected fields.

* Stopping violence against women: In Colombia, the courts ruled in 1992 that the absence of legal recourse then available to a female victim of domestic violence violated her human rights to life and personal security. The state now ensures protection for all such women. In Uganda, the state and cities have created programs and policies to campaign against domestic violence, using state funds for the purpose. In Costa Rica, the courts are authorized to order an abusive spouse to leave the home and to continue providing economic support. Training and programs to combat sex crimes are being established, and women officials must handle rape investigations and prosecutions.

* Promoting girls' education: Slovenia and Switzerland have changed their school admission policies to benefit girls. Pakistan introduced coeducation in primary schools in 1996-97 after treaty ratification, and saw sharp increases in female enrollment, especially in rural areas. India universalized its Integrated Child Development Services program in 1997, after treaty ratification, and girls now account for nearly half of all pre-schoolers.

* Improving health care: Australia launched efforts to promote awareness and prevention of breast and cervical cancer, including postcards reminding 3 million women to get pap smears. Israel allocated funds to pay for mammograms for women ages 50 to 74. Argentina developed a program to prevent teen pregnancy and provide necessary care when it does occur, particularly for homeless girls. The Philippines set up a new nationwide maternal and newborn health care program. Argentina, Mexico, and Australia instituted programs to provide health care to indigenous and migrant women.

* Ensuring women's legal rights: Laws to advance women's participation in decision-making have been adopted in 22 of the 168 countries that have ratified the Treaty. In Tanzania, the Supreme Court invalidated a customary law that barred women from inheriting clan property, citing the Treaty for the Rights of Women and other rights treaties as "a standard below which any civilized nation will be ashamed to fall.“ Zambia ratified the Treaty for the Rights of Women in 1985 and in 1991 extended its Bill of Rights to cover sex discrimination. Women proposing revisions for the Ugandan constitution in 1995, referred to the Treaty for the Rights of Women for guidance, and now many of its provisions reflect Treaty standards. Since 1989, legislation in China has highlighted equality between men and women. Women are now guaranteed joint ownership of marital property and equal inheritance. A Botswana appeals court cited the Treaty in overturning a law that gave citizenship to children of men married to foreigners but not to those of women married to foreigners.

* Improving women's lives at work: Germany, Guatemala, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom are among the countries that have improved maternity leave and child care for working women in accord with Treaty provisions. In Australia, the government cited its treaty obligations in passing national legislation against sexual harassment in the workplace.