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http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/feb/04/2014-key-year-women-rights-gender-equality
Why
2014 Is a Key Year for Women's Rights & Gender Equality
Volunteers at a sexual harassment and counselling group in Susiya, a
bedouin village in the
Over the past few decades, the
often tireless work of the women's movement around the world has brought
positive change. There has been a growing recognition that countries cannot
thrive if half the population is left out of education and work, or not
included in decision-making. Laws have been introduced to recognise women's
right to safety in and outside the home, equal pay in the workplace and
equality under the law, and there have been attitudinal changes towards women.
The past 20 years have seen two landmark
international agreements on women's rights. In September 1994, the International
Conference on Population and Development, which met in
The following year, in
But with success comes the
backlash, and that backlash has been increasingly evident over the past 15
years. As the UN looks to mark the 20th anniversary of the Cairo agreement this
year, women's rights organisations are, more and more, having to concern
themselves with fighting reactionary policies that seek to chip away at
hard-won rights.
Globally, about one in three women will be beaten
or raped during their lifetime, and more than 140 million women and girls are
estimated to be living with the consequences of
FGM. And despite numerous UN resolutions that state the
importance of women's involvement in peace and reconciliation, women are still
not invited to peace talks.
Women's rights groups are underfunded. Research by
the Association for Women's Rights in Development (Awid) found that the average annual income of 740
organisations it surveyed in 2010 was about $20,000 (£12,000).
On Tuesday, the Guardian launched
a women's rights and gender equality section to provide a specific focus on the
pressing issues affecting women, girls and transgender people around the world,
and the critical work being carried out by women's rights movements.
This year is gearing up to be a
key time for women's rights and gender equality. The UN Commission on the
Status of Women, being held in
Despite loud calls for a
standalone goal for gender equality to be included in any new set of targets
after 2015, it is far from certain that this will be achieved. Sexual violence
against women, particularly during conflict, is expected to receive global
attention once again this year, with a summit hosted by the
Working in partnership with Mama Cash
and Awid,
we want this section to offer a safe forum for debate and for sharing ideas. We
want to create a global platform for discussion that amplifies the voices of
women's rights advocates who are normally left out of decision-making or not
heard in mainstream media.
Tell us what you think and what you would like to
hear more about. Email us at development@theguardian.com