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HUMAN RIGHTS
Recognizing women's rights
Over the last two decades it has been recognized that development cannot succeed without the acknowledgment of women. Their full integration and participation in the development process has been recognized as a fundamental basis for development. There are some key documents formulated and ratified by the United Nations that clearly state the need for this to take place. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, developed in 1979 and ratified by 120 countries is still disregarded. Women continue to suffer from being treated as second class citizens. During the UN decade for women in 1985, the Forward Looking Strategies were developed, as a plan for the advancement of women towards the year 2000.
The United Nations places freedom high on a list of conditions necessary for human development, and freedom is something few women know. Women lack freedom from fear of violence because of their gender, freedom to choose over their fertility, freedom from social stereotypes that limit their abilities to self determination, and they lack freedom on the basis of their gender. Discrimination against girls begins with early life, sometimes before birth as female infanticide is practiced. In many areas, social and cultural factors deny girls and women the same nutrition, health care and other support males receive. There are still many cultures which place greater importance on male children over the female child. This is particularly obvious when a priority is placed in providing healthcare and education to males over females.