The Power of You is an article that highlights the power of an individual and the youth to improve the Human Rights of Women and the Power of Youth in improving society.

1. National Seminar on Protection of Human Rights of Women, Issues and Challenges
Sub Theme- I​- Women and Universalization of Human Rights
THE POWER OF YOU
Mir Mustafa Ali Hasan
Abstract
The power of the youth is fuel for the entire world, no segment of society can match up to the
power, idealism, enthusiasm and courage of the youth. This Generation is more informed,
more aware and more educated. No document outlines the difference between Human Rights
and Women Rights, but often we, unintentionally, use these two terms to define two different
concepts. Women’s Rights are Human Rights.
Attaining equality between the genders and eliminating any sort of discrimination has been
one of the focal aims of human society, but rigged with orthodoxy ideas and principles. This
aim has been progressing slower than expected.
Significant progress has been secured in attaining women’s rights across the world for the
past few years. However, large gaps still remain and realities of the situation of women
across the world are constantly changing, with new manifestations of discrimination against
them emerging rapidly. Age, socioeconomic status, nationality, religion also act as the
additional ground on which women face discrimination. These intersecting forms of
discrimination should be taken into consideration when developing measures and responses
to combat discrimination against women.
The past few years have seen ingenious perspectives and viable solutions to the problem of
discrimination, but all these have been scattered. There wasn’t any proper mechanism to
sustain these issues and hence, the results were averaged.
Gender Discrimination isn’t going to solve itself. Laws are prevalent, people are aware and
governments are trying. But we aren’t doing enough. It is time, we own the responsibility and
take the onus upon ourselves to move ahead for us, and the future generations.
The time to think has passed. Now is the time to act
Keywords​:​ Youth, Equality, Discrimination, Orthodox, Rights
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2. Introduction
One of the main goals of the United Nations is attaining equality between women and men
and eliminating all forms of discrimination against women. Deniability of basic Human
Rights is a very common phenomenon around the world. Achieving equality between the
genders requires a comprehensive understanding of the different ways in which women face
discrimination and are denied the opportunity to develop appropriate strategies to eliminate
such discrimination.
In the past, human rights had been conceptualized through a way that didn't appreciate
women’s lives and therefore the incontrovertible fact that they experienced violence, crime,
discrimination and coercion.
Through the past, women followed certain norms and traditions that put many restraints upon
them, primarily within the male-dominated society. The work of activists, human rights
mechanisms and States has been essential for ensuring that the human rights framework has
been adequately developed and adjusted to summarize the gender-specific dimensions of
human rights violations to safeguard women during a better way.
Efficiently ensuring women’s human rights requires a wide-ranging understanding of the
elemental societal structures and power relations that outline and stimulate the power of the
ladies to enjoy human rights. These power structures have an impression on all aspects of
life, from law and politics to economic and policy, family and community life, education,
training, skill development and attainment of employment opportunities.
It’s a longstanding global agreement: women have the proper to participate and lead in
political institutions. Recognizing that right, more countries than ever before have moved
towards gender parity in parliaments, local governments and political parties, as has the
United Nations in its upper echelons. Yet to completely realize this right in our lifetime,
much remains to be done.
Many International Bodies such as the UN Women collaborate with legislatures, electoral
management bodies, women’s networks and other United Nations entities to finish
stereotypes that keep women out of leadership roles, increase the amount of girls leaders, and
build their skills and capacities. That helps countries plan and budget supported gender
equality principles, measure progress through better gender data and guarantee equality under
the law.
Undoubtedly, it's been the youth who lead the fight from the front. The rising evaluations of
gender-neutral roles to the boom of equality in the world is testament to the current
generation’s zeal to win this battle for the greater good.
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3. Rights of Women under International Law
Adopted in 1945, the Charter of the United Nations sets out as one of its goals
‘to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person,
and in the equal rights of men and women.’
Furthermore, Article 1 of the Charter stipulates that one of the purposes of the United Nations
is to promote respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms
‘without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion.’
This prohibition of discrimination based on sex is repeated in its Articles 13​ (Mandate of the
General Assembly)​ and Article 55 ​(Promotion of Universal Human Rights)​.
In 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted. It, too, proclaimed the
equal entitlements of women and men to the rights contained in it, In drafting the
Declaration, there was considerable discussion about the use of the term ​‘all men’ ​rather than
a gender-neutral term.
The Declaration was eventually adopted using the terms ‘​all human beings’​ and ​‘everyone’​ in
order to leave no doubt that the Universal Declaration was intended for everyone, men and
women alike. 1
Women are entitled to enjoy equivalent human rights and fundamental freedoms as other
individuals. International human rights treaties require State parties to require proactive steps
to make sure that women’s human rights are respected by law and to eliminate
discrimination, inequalities, and practices that negatively affect women’s rights. Under
international human rights law, women can also be entitled to specific additional rights like
those concerning reproductive healthcare.
As a very vulnerable group, women have special status and protection within the United
Nations and regional human rights systems. International human rights treaties prohibit
discrimination on the idea of gender and also require States to make sure the protection and
realization of women’s rights altogether areas – from property ownership and freedom from
violence to equal access to education and participation in government.
The UN Convention on the Elimination of All Sorts of Discrimination against Women
(CEDAW), agreed in 1979, comprehensively defines gender discrimination and provides the
inspiration for achieving gender equality in many areas of life.
1
Women Rights are Human Rights Report, UNHRC
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4. Countries that have ratified the convention are legally bound by its provisions and must
regularly report on the measures they take. The binding nature of CEDAW gives women’s
movements the proper to demand its implementation and legitimises their proposals.
Disappointingly, CEDAW didn't include violence against women and girls (VAWG) but the
UN has made important moves to remedy this by passing the Declaration on the Elimination
of Violence against Women in 1993 and therefore the CEDAW committee has made several,
authoritative, ​‘general recommendations’ ​on VAWG.
Two decades after the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA) was adopted in
1995 at the UN Fourth World Conference on Women, it still provides a visionary grounding
for international debate on women’s rights.
The BPfA involved strong and specific commitments by governments and other institutions
to require action in 12 areas, including health, VAWG, economics, the environment, and
decision-making. Progress and challenges on their implementation are discussed annually at
CSW.
UN Security Council Resolution 1325, agreed in 2000, recognises women’s role in peace
building and therefore the impact of armed conflict on women. It promotes women’s
participation and representation in the least levels of decision-making, the protection of girls
and girls, and therefore the integration of a gender perspective in post-conflict processes and
UN activities. 1325 and 7 later resolutions together structure the ladies , Peace and Security
Agenda and supply vital support for women’s rights organisations performing on the bottom .
In 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by UN members.
Encompassing 17 goals on economic, social, and environmental issues, they apply to all or
any countries. Gender equality is promoted through goal 5, which aims to ​‘achieve gender
equality and empower all women and girls’​ and is mainstreamed into many of the opposite
goals.
SDG 5 sets specific objectives on legal frameworks to finish discrimination; VAWG; harmful
practices like child marriage and FGM; unpaid care and domestic work; participation and
leadership publicly life; sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights; and,
economic rights.qual access to education and participation in government.
We can see that with this framework, women’s rights are, to a great extent, enshrined on
paper. Yet women still face violence, discrimination and inequality in all aspects of their lives
- so implementation is key. Together with our partners and allies, Womankind works for the
implementation of all women’s rights frameworks – we won’t stop until women’s rights are
realised.
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5. Women Leading the Way
Around the world, over 2.5 billion women and girls suffer the results of discriminatory laws
and gaps in legal protections. In 2019, leading international and regional organizations rolled
out a road map for eliminating discriminatory laws. It involves fast-tracking repeals in 100
countries by 2023, removing a number of the foremost egregious legal barriers. Over 50
million women and girls will not accept legal provisions allowing them to be paid less, as an
example , or denied full citizenship, among other priority issues.
In 2018, with UN assistance, Ukraine repealed discriminatory provisions against women
within their armed forces . Women lawyers in Afghanistan gained skills in gender-responsive
legislative analysis and advocacy. Across the Arab States, legislative reforms are unfolding to
guard women’s rights, yet the law still frequently fails to deliver for ladies and girls. In 2018,
UN Women convened on the brink of 200 gender experts, activists, legislators, jurists and
officialdom to debate what more must be done to finish discrimination in laws and policies.
The event followed the discharge of a UN Women sponsored study of laws and policies in 18
Arab countries. The study was conducted with the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and therefore the UN Economic and
Social Commission for West Asia. one among the foremost comprehensive assessments ever
of those issues, it shed much-needed light on gender in constitutions and a spread of laws.
The findings provide sound evidence for future action.
None of the 18 countries, for instance, grant women equal rights in marriage, divorce,
guardianship and custody of youngsters . After UN Women shared a demonstrated practice
from Mexico, Tridnand & Tobago became the primary of 4 Caribbean nations to determine a
Gender Equality Protocol for Judicial Officers. It provides detailed guidance to form sure that
females can access justice not just in theory, but in practice. In applying it, judicial officers
can better answer the difficulties some women face in going to court, like missed appearances
associated with a scarcity of childcare.
Officers have reported being more informed on the way to protect women’s rights in cases
determining support payment and responding to gender-based violence. In Indonesia, UN
Women supported the event of a training module that helps judges avoid gender
discriminatory attitudes and stereotyped behaviours when adjudicating cases involving
women in conflict with the law. The module has been adopted and piloted by Indonesia’s
Supreme Court, which has committed to institutionalizing it within the training of in-service
judges.
Across the United Nations various actions have been taken to advance gender equality,
accelerating momentum on many levels. In 2018, for the first time, gender parity was attained
in both the UN Senior Management Group and among the Resident Coordinators who
oversee country operations. supported extensive consultations.
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6. A partnership with the legislature , the Ministry of Justice and therefore the Women Mayors
and Councillors’ Association in Bolivia hosted regional and national gatherings attended by
over 20,000 women. The meetings shared information on international norms and standards,
which women want to design a national agenda for dismantling patriarchy. The President of
Bolivia created a cupboard dedicated to implementing the agenda, which spells out measures
to understand women’s rights under seven pillars. Early priorities include better integration of
gender equality in regional and native development plans, fully accounting for women’s
economic contributions within the national budget, and enacting a law upholding sexual and
reproductive rights. 2
Many trailblazing women have lead the fight for decades now- from the gallant Suffragettes
who fought for women's right to vote, to Tarana Burke leading the #MeToo movement, to
Winona LaDuke heading the fight against climate change, these women are paving the way
for gender equality, the real definition of #EachForEqual.
Today, 29 Countries have an elected or appointed Head of State or Government, who is a
woman. The senior most Head of State in the world, serving from 1952, Her Majesty Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and 16 other countries has been a beacon of hope for
many, who wished to aspire to be global leaders. Indira Gandhi, Elenor Rosavelt, Margret
Thatcher, Jacinta Arden, Sheikh Hasina and so many more women have led countries and
societies to a more equal world.
There is an old proverb,​ ‘If you educate a man, you educate an individual, but when you
educate a woman, you educate an entire family.’
Women are taught from a tender age that they belong in the kitchen and their
responsibilities extend to boundaries of the house. In the olden days, parents used to
discourage girls from pursuing education and having dreams of their own, the only dream
They were allowed to envision a happily married life.
Women are the weapons, which yield a positive impact on the Indian society through their
contributions both at home and in their professional fields. A woman is a pillar on which the
base of a successful society resides. Today, We have women taking on new avenues and are
breaking the glass ceiling of expectations. A woman was expected to only cook a nourishing
meal, keep a spot free house and take care of the children.
Today, women are running the nation and the world. We have politicians, business leaders,
artists, sportswomen, public workers. There isn’t a single field of profession where women
haven’t been able to make a mark. Today, Women education isn’t just a formality to be
ticked off from a list, it has become a necessity and a un-denying reality of today. It has
become the cornerstone of modern society.
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UN Women Annual Report 2018-19
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7. The Youth achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations
The Sustainable Development Goals just like the Millennium Development Goals signify a
shared monumental framework around which the planet can focus, engage, and optimize
international development for our fragile human ecosphere. The window of opportunity to
see these goals opened with the top of 2015, after the Millennium Development Goals was
achieved but momentous challenges remain to be hurdled before the foremost key critical and
promising imperatives are delineated.
Focusing totally on accelerating the achievements of gender equality for all by empowering
women globally is – but one among the foremost imperative thanks to achieving the United
Nations Sustainable Developments Goals. But due to the undeniable reality of the largely
universal unequal power relationship supported gender, achieving the Sustainable
Development Goals might still be a foreign dream. Not only is such discrimination a reality,
it denies women full economic citizenship and is an insidious means of perpetuating
patriarchal dominance and cyclically fostering dependence on those whose individual human
rights are being denied – solely on the idea of gender.
Breaking the forces perpetuating gender inequality, especially in societies where it's the
foremost deeply rooted, like Liberia, for instance , insidious, and systemic will disrupt the
unending cycle of poverty passed generation to generation by giving women and people
otherwise denied equality full economic citizenship independence, a way to innovate and
make livelihoods for themselves, and equal voices within their societies.
Gender inequality unequivocally is one among the most important obstacles to beat in any
effort to eradicate poverty because gender inequality, by its very definition, relegates women,
girls, et al. subject to gender-biased discrimination to second class ​(if not wholly
marginalized)​ citizenship. In many cultures, gender inequality leads to complete denial of
rights to education, to positions of power, and therefore the often punitive denial of resources
– to not mention any real voice in decision-making within the society.
Over the years, despite the progress made by Millennium Development Goals and therefore
the on-going Sustainable Development Goals, many cultures, traditions and religions have
justified gender inequality. Such teachings and practices are abusive tools to subjugate and
control women and girls and to deny their full human rights.
Women and girls in rigid paternalistic societies especially are often denied access to
education, health care, employment, property rights, and any authentic voice in their own
communities – including their own fates.
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8. In some such societies, gender inequality actually constitutes a way to​ ‘own’​ another
(husbands may own many wives, for example)​ and even justifies barbarity like ​‘wife burning’
as a way of divorce ​(should the dowry be too small)​. ​‘Honor killing’​ and ​‘female genital
mutilation​’ are two other extreme but not uncommon samples of strict adherence to ancient
brutal paternalistic laws based solely upon gender discrimination.
Sadly we all have still not realized that it's not just women who are paying the big and unjust
price of gender discrimination.
Women, after all, structure ​‘half the sky.’​ More important though, all suffer when the rights
of girls and girls are abused and neglected. In effect, we embed inequality systemically by
failing to simply accept the gifts and skills of quite half our population.
The travesty and true injustice is that we undercut humanity’s true potential by a minimum of
a half by perpetuating gender based inequality and not ensuring that ladies and girls are as
equally empowered as every other individual member of any society.
In too many countries we mention democracy but still deny and ignore women equal rights
and basic necessities. We fail to acknowledge that ladies and girls possess the key drive to
cause progressive global change from which all of humanity can only benefit.
Despite the chances , there's hope. Fostering gender equality will profoundly impact
development. and every one round the world, more and more people have understood this
truth.
Nobody says it'll be easy but we wholeheartedly believe we will create a replacement world
which empowers all, eliminates marginalization and barbarism supported gender, and where
all can have a voice to figure and share equally, optimize innovation and progress, and
eradicate poverty and solve many other ​‘incurable’​ social ills for a much better new
tomorrow. The primary step is to be sure we empower everyone equally – including all
women and girls – so as to accelerate the day when the entire of humanity is functioning to
optimize and protect our very fragile human ecosphere.
Increasingly, it's certain that unless young men and boys work together and alongside women
and young girls to empower women and girls and eradicate the unjust and oppressive
gender-based stereotypes of the past, the belief of true gender equality will still remain a
foreign dream.
Young men and ladies, being the longer-term leaders today, must join hands now and back
gender equality and women’s empowerment to its full achievement. We must do so in ways
which are empathetic towards the normal very rigid systems we'll change.
We must think up new non-violent strategies to make the planet we envision that disarm
opposition within the planet of the past. Until we achieve getting the ​‘old order’​ to
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9. acknowledge the benefits of the new, we must commit ourselves to what might rather be a
really long walk to freedom and equality for all. The day our goals are achieved could seem
very far away but it's going to rather be much closer at-hand then we realize.
Young people, as youthful as they're , can bring back to the table a keen consciousness of the
realities of gender inequality and an in-depth understanding of its dire consequences now also
as coherent understanding of the change which will result with equal empowerment for all.
As a part of the answer , they carry to they carry to the table a sincere desire to be a part of
the answer , to actually make a difference, an abiding commitment to try to to whatever is
important , empathetic, and right to finish the walk for gender equality and therefore the
empowerment of girls and girls.
Imagine young men and ladies working together for equality and advancement for all.
Dealing together, children can break the circle of inequality, poverty, and violence and help
to realize the Sustainable Development Goals.
Just as violence and inequality are learned and passed from generation to generation, so can
also gentleness, fairness, compassion, empathy, and love, and an abiding commitment to the
equality of all humankind and human rights be passed from generation to generation.
Especially in areas like Liberia, there's a requirement to shift the thinking from ​‘young men
and boys being a part of the problem’​ to seeing ​‘young men and boys working with women
and girls as part of the solution’.
Young men and ladies need the chance to experiment with alternative ways of thinking and
acting which will affirm the change they need to ascertain , the change they need to be.
Children got to be listened to and heard. Only then will they know each of them is powerful
as a private and every are often a change maker.
Only then will they be better parents and partners who respect and treat each other differently
(absent role stereotyping)​. Only then will they successfully hand the new equality right down
to successive generations and therefore the dream of full equality and empowerment for all be
wholly achieved.3
The SDGs come at a time, when the youth is well-read and unlike the MDGs. The SDGs are
global oriented and have the chance to affect real change through individual citizens. This
concept of induvials helping in achieving the SDGs has been the game changer, where young
students have been in the fore-front of delivering results.
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The International Clarion
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10. The Power of You-th
We’ve all heard of Malala Yousufzai or Greata Thunberg but there have been many more
such young girls, who have tackled the same issues at a more local level. These girls have
made scalable impacts to their immediate surrounding and their stories are inspirational and
motivating.
The Period Society​ is a youth founded initiative which strives to promote menstrual equity by
working towards its goal of breaking the stigma surrounding periods and making period
products accessible to combat period poverty. While we collaborate with organizations
around the world, our region of focus is India where we empower underserved communities
by educating women about menstrual hygiene and providing them with period products. We
do not collect any profits and all the donations we receive - either monetary, or in kind- are
utilized to implement our programs in these communities.
The Period Society was founded in 2018, by ​Swara Patel,​ a junior at Herricks High School
who immigrated to the United States of America at the age of 16. Growing up in India, she
witnessed the impact that the menstrual taboo had on the lives of all groups of women when
she realized her domestic help's daughter often used a rag and that there was a lack of
accessibility to safe period practices especially in tribal areas and economically
disadvantaged communities during her time as a volunteer. These life experiences
compounded by the menstrual taboo in her community which she personally experienced
inspired her to begin a student-led organization and create opportunities for people to break
the menstrual taboo.
While leading this movement for equality we create an array of opportunities for people of all
backgrounds, especially students to take action within their communities to disseminate
information about healthy menstrual hygiene practices and organize drives to distribute
menstrual hygiene products. Working with a network of doctors, social workers, students,
and passionate citizens we hope to achieve our vision of a world where a period only ends a
sentence and never sets a limit to anyone's potential.
They have worked with over 2,500 women in India since their inception and have met the
monthly menstrual hygiene needs of over 2,000 of them for the next three years. That's over
5,00,000 periods served ! They have conducted sessions in red light districts, villages,
municipal schools, tribal hamlets (Adivasi areas), other NGOs, and in many other settings.
They wish continue to host these sessions to dispel myths about menstruation with an
interactive and heavily visual sessions conducted in local languages and dialects in multiple
states in India and continue to pave way for a nationwide movement to ​#smashthestigma
surrounding menstrual and reproductive health.4
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The Period Society Website
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11. Leading by example is the best way to drive change. That is what ​Lusha Jetley​ set out to do.
When she was in Grade XI, she had the opportunity to coordinate a volunteer programme at a
women’s shelter where she learnt first-hand about the various challenges women face
including menstrual health. A simple revelation changed her outlook on life and gave birth to
the The Wonder Woman project.
The project is a part of the Worldview Education’s​ #Act2Impact​ initiative. Worldview
Education is a person-centric experiential learning platform for middle and high school
students, which aims to engage them in pressing global issues which also have local
relevance.
Lusha decided to name the project after the DC Comics American superhero Wonder
Woman. She chose a name that rightfully encapsulated the strength and courage she
witnessed among the women she worked with. They chose to open themselves to new
knowledge and information, and even encourage others around them to do so.
For them to step out of their comfort zone was nothing short of wondrous, and something that
deserved to be celebrated. Women and menstrual health - what is lacking?
Lusha started the ​Wonder Women Project​ in 2018 and till date, she and her team have been
able to reach out to 700 women in Delhi, Arunachal Pradesh, and Maharashtra. The states
and shelters were selected on the basis of their outreach and accessibility.
Lusha believes two challenges impact the way women think about the whole issue of
menstruation and the taboo surrounding it even today. The Wonder Woman Project aims to
promote safe menstrual hygiene practices among women, especially among the homeless.
Many of these women are survivors of abuse, suffering from mental illness or facing acute
socio economic crises. 5
I was lucky to interact with Swara and Lusha through my association with Worldview
Education and after meeting them, I can safely say that such small enterprises are the power
of society and the youth is ready to take on the world.
These are just some of the shining examples of youth leadership around the world. The bullet
shot by the Taliban on Malala Yousufzai did not only injure her but also cracked the glass
ceiling of differentiation between genders. The #100blackgirlbooks mission by Marley Dias
to distribute books featuring black girls as protagonists is another example of how diverse,
gender bias can be.
Payal Jangid’s struggle from an enslaved girl to a world-renowned rights activist is yet
another inspiring anecdote in the long list of youth activism and it’s rippling effects.
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Your Story Article on Lusha Jetley
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12. But, it’s not that these few girls and boys are leading this fight. Every young person today is
involved someway or the other in promoting Gender Equality. Whether it is liking a picture
on Social Media talking about Gender Equality or it is as simple as sitting across to a girl and
letting her voice her opinion without fear and judgement.
If the phrase, ‘t​he youth are the future’ ​ were a song chorus, it would be the most
remembered and definitely the most sung. The phrase carries the promise that young people
will be in charge in future, it provides hope, that things will be better for young people in
tomorrow once things are done right today.
Gender Equality is not only achievable on paper now, but the action has begun. We just need
to start working actively towards it.
Many have already started calling this generation, the generation that will lead, the generation
that will solve and the Generation of Solvers. It’s our battle and we need to believe in
ourselves and use our Power. Believe in The Power of You, believe in the Power of the
You-th.
We write our own stories and this young generation has begun writing their own chapter in
the annals of history, unsurprisingly the older generations are also falling in line and walking
ahead. This new chapter is going to be the most enlightened, well-written and fair chapter
ever written authorted by none other than The Generation of Solvers.
About the Author
Mir Mustafa Ali Hasan​ is an undergraduate law student studying at Sultan-Ul-Uloom College of Law,
affiliated to Osmania University, Hyderabad. His interests range from cooking to International Relations &
Politics. An extensive reader and a passionate orator, he is vocal about various social issues that concern
him. He hails from a family that is dominated by the Women. He considers his Grandmother, the true
embodiment of Women Empowerment & Leadership. His friends too have shaped his thinking to be more
concerned to the relaities of Gender Discrimination. He is a zealous advocate for youth leadership and truly
believes in the power of the Generation of Solvers and is proud to be part of the Gen-S.
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