the international instruments for rights of women and national provisions

2. WOMEN RIGHTS MOVEMENT
• 1848-1920
• STARTED AS A SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT
• CONTINUED AS A FEMINIST MOVEMENT
• EMPOWERING THEM
• EQUATING WOMEN WITH MEN

3. WRM (1848-1920)
• Women's rights is the fight for the idea
that women should have equal rights with men.
Over history, this has taken the form of gaining
property rights, the women's suffrage, or
the right of women to vote, reproductive rights,
and the right to work for for equal pay.

4. TIMELINE OF WRM

5. 1848
• The first women's rights convention is held in
Seneca Falls, New York. After 2 days of
discussion and debate, 68 women and 32 men
sign a Declaration of Sentiments,which outlines
grievances and sets the agenda for the women's
rights movement. A set of 12 resolutions is
adopted calling for equal treatment of women
and men under the law and voting rights for
women

6. 1869
• May
• Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady
Stanton form the National Woman Suffrage
Association. The primary goal of the
organization is to achieve voting rights for
women by means of a
Congressional amendment to the Constitution

7. • Nov.
• Lucy Stone, Henry Blackwell, and others form
the American Woman Suffrage Association. This
group focuses exclusively on gaining voting
rights for womenthrough amendments to
individual state constitutions

8. • Dec. 10
• The territory of Wyoming passes the first
women's suffrage law. The following year,
women begin serving on juries in the territory

9. 1893
• Colorado is the first state to adopt an
amendment granting women the right to
vote. Utah and Idaho follow suit in
1896, Washington State in 1910, California in
1911, Oregon, Kansas, and Arizona in
1912, Alaska and Illinois in
1913, Montana and Nevada in 1914, New
York in 1917; Michigan, South
Dakota, and Oklahoma in 1918.

10. 1896
• The National Association of Colored Women is
formed, bringing together more than 100 black
women's clubs
• 1903
• The National Women's Trade Union League
(WTUL) is established to advocate for improved
wages and working conditions for women.

11. 1919
• The federal woman suffrage amendment,
originally written by Susan B. Anthonyand
introduced in Congress in 1878, is passed by the
House of Representatives and the Senate. It is
then sent to the states for ratification.

12. 1920
• The Women's Bureau of the Department of
Labor is formed to collect information about
women in the workforce and safeguard good
working conditions for women.
• Aug. 26The 19th Amendment to the
Constitution, granting women the right to vote,
is signed into law by Secretary of
State Bainbridge Colby

13. RIGHTS OF WOMEN:
INTERNATIONAL
INSTRUMENTS

14. • Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
• Convention on the Political Rights of Women (1952)
• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966)
• International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights (1966)
• Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women (1967)
• Declaration on the Protection of Women and Children in
Emergency and Armed Conflict (1974)
• Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women (1979)
• Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against
Women (1993)
• Universal Declaration on Democracy (1997)
• Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of
All Forms of Discrimination against Women

16. INTERNATIONAL BILL OF RIGHTS
1.UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
2.INTERNATIONAL CONVENANT ON CIVIL AND
POLITICAL RIGHTS
3.INTERNATIONAL CONVENANT ON
ECONOMIC,SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS

17. Universal declaration of human
rights
“All human beings are born free and
equal in dignity and rights. They are
endowed with reason and conscience
and should act towards one another in
a spirit of brotherhood”

18. ICCPR
• The ICCPR recognizes the inherent dignity of
each individual and undertakes to promote
conditions within states to allow the enjoyment
of civil and political rights

19. ICESCR
• ICESCR rights are crucial to enable people to live
with dignity. This treaty covers important areas of
public policy, such as the rights to:
• work
• fair and just conditions of work
• social security
• adequate food
• clothing and housing
• health, and
• education

20. CEDAW

21. CEDAW
• On 18 December 1979, the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women was adopted by the United
Nations General Assembly. It entered into force
as an international treaty on 3 September 1981
after the twentieth country had ratified it.

22. • ARTICLE 1 DEFINES DISCRIMINATION:
• ‘...any distinction, exclusion or restriction made
on thebasis of sex which has the effect or
purpose of impairingor nullifying the
recognition, enjoyment or exercise bywomen,
irrespective of their marital status, on a basisof
equality of men and women, of human rights
and fundamental freedoms in the political,
economic, social,cultural, civil or any other field’

23. • ARTICLE 2: DUTY OF THE STATE –
The state must ensure the elimination of discrimination in
laws, policies and practices nationally.
• ARTICLE 3: EQUALITY
–The state must take measures to uphold women’s equality
in all fields.
• ARTICLE 4: TEMPORARY MEASURES
– States are allowed to implement temporary measures, if
this means the acceleration of women’s equality.

24. • ARTICLE 5: CULTURE
– States must abolish discriminatory cultural
practices or traditions.
• ARTICLE 6: TRAFFICKING
– States must take the appropriate steps to suppress
the exploitation involved in prostitution and in the
trafficking of women.
• ARTICLE 7: POLITICAL AND PUBLIC LIFE
– Women must have equal rights to vote, hold public
office, and participate in civil society

25. • ARTICLE 8: GOVERNMENTAL REPRESENTATION
– Women must be allowed to work and represent
their governments internationally.
• ARTICLE 9: NATIONALITY
– Women have the right to acquire,retain or even
change their nationality as well as that of their
children.
• ARTICLE 10: EDUCATION
– Women have equal rights with men with regard to
education.

26. • ARTICLE 11: EMPLOYMENT
– Women have equal rights with men in employment
(equal pay, healthy working conditions etc.)
• ARTICLE 12: HEALTH
– Women have equal rights to health care with an
emphasis on reproductive health services.
• ARTICLE 13: ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL LIFE
– Women haveequal rights to family benefits,
financial credit and equality inrecreational
activities.

27. • ARTICLE 14: RURAL WOMEN
– Rural women must have the right to adequate living
conditions, participation in development planning and
access to healthcare and education.
• ARTICLE 15: EQUALITY BEFORE THE LAW
– Women and men must be seen as equals before the law,
have the legal right to own property and choose their
place of residence.
• ARTICLE 16: MARRIAGE AND FAMILY
– Women have equal rights with men within marriage,
including family planning

28. • ARTICLE 17-24:
refer to the functioning and role of the Committee
of CEDAW and reporting procedures.
• ARTICLE 25-30:
refer to the administration of the Convention

29. United Nations Convention on Rights of
Women - 1981
• defines discrimination in a way that implies that
women's rights are in "political, economic,
social, cultural, civil" and other spheres.

30. The Declaration specifically addresses:
• eliminating prejudice in public education
• full political rights to vote and to run for and to
serve in public office
• rights to change nationality equal to men's
rights

31. CONTD..
• marriage and divorce rights to be equal to
men's, and elimination of child marriage
• equality in criminal punishment
• traffic in women, including exploiting
prostitutes
• employment rights, including non-
discrimination in access to jobs, equal pay, and
paid maternity leave

32. ...............INDIAN SCENARIO

33. Constitutional rights of women
•The state shall not discriminate against any citizen of India on the
ground of sex [Article 15(1)].
•The state is empowered to make any special provision for women.
In other words, this provision enables the state to make affirmative
discrimination in favour of women [Article 15(3)].
•No citizen shall be discriminated against or be ineligible for any
employment or office under the state on the ground of sex [Article
16(2)

34. •Traffic in human beings and forced labour are prohibited
[Article 23(1)].
•The state to secure for men and women equally the right
to an adequate means of livelihood [Article 39(a)].
•The state to secure equal pay for equal work for both
Indian men and women [Article 39(d)].

35. • The state is required to ensure that the health
and strength of women workers are not
abused and that they are not forced by
economic necessity to enter avocations
unsuited to their strength [Article 39(e)].
• The state shall make provision for securing just
and humane conditions of work and
maternity relief [Article 42].

36. • It shall be the duty of every citizen of India to
renounce practices derogatory to the dignity
of women [Article 51-A(e)].
• One-third of the total number of seats to be
filled by direct election in every Panchayat
shall be reserved for women [Article 243-D(3)]

37. • One-third of the total number of offices of
chairpersons in the Panchayats at each level
shall be reserved for women [Article 243-D(4)].
• One-third of the total number of seats to be filled
by direct election in every Municipality shall be
reserved for women [Article 243-T(3)].
• The offices of chairpersons in the Municipalities
shall be reserved for women in such manner as
the State Legislature may provide [Article 243-
T(4)].

38. Legal rights of women
• Various acts have been passed by the
government in order to provide better life
opportunities for women..
• Some of them are discussed as follows:

39. 1) Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961
2) The Protection Of Women From Domestic
Violence Act, 2005
3) The Commission Of Sati (Prevention) Act,
1987
4) The Immoral Traffic Prevention Act, 1956
5) Civil Procedure Code, 1973

40. Cntd..
6) Indian Penal Code, 1960
7) Hindu Marriage Act, 1955
8) Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929
9) The Medical Termination Of Pregnancy Act,
1971
10) National Commission Of Women Act, 199

41. Cntd..
11) The Minimum Wages Act, 1948
12) Bonded Labour System Abolition Act, 1976
13) The Special Marriage Act, 1954
14) Foreign Marriage Act, 1969
15) Indian Divorce Act, 1969

42. Cntd..
16) The Indecent Representation of Women
Prohibition Act, 1986
17) Guardians & Wards Act, 1869
18) Equal Remuneration Act, 1976