RIGHTS OF WOMEN

DISCRIMINATION OF WOMAN

-WOMEN RIGHTS

-Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide, and
formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the nineteenth century and feminist
movement during the 20th century. In some countries, these rights are institutionalized or
supported by law, local custom, and behavior, whereas in others they are ignored and suppressed.
They differ from broader notions of human rights through claims of an inherent historical and
traditional bias against the exercise of rights by women and girls, in favor of men and boys.
Issues commonly associated with notions of women's rights include, though are not limited to,
the right: to bodily integrity and autonomy; to be free from sexual violence; to vote; to hold
public office; to enter into legal contracts; to have equal rights in family law; to work; to fair
wages or equal pay; to have reproductive rights; to own property; to education.

DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOAMN

-Discrimination against Women with Respect to Marriage

Legislation should guarantee women equal rights and responsibilities in marriage with men,
irrespective of the form of family or the religion, custom, tradition or legal system under which it
is established. Drafters should realize that discrimination against women in marriage
encompasses several issues, including their civil status, ability to enter a marriage of their own
choosing, legal capacity to own and administer property, right to inherit, right to maintain or
change nationality, and rights and responsibilities with regard to their children. Legislation should
address and prohibit discrimination in all of these areas to promote and protect the rights of
widows.

Legislation should require the free and full consent of both parties to enter into a marriage and
fully protect a womans right to choose, when, if and who she marries. (See: Forced and Child
Marriage). Legislation should provide the same legal protections of equality of status between
parties in de facto marriages, customary and non-formal marriages as those conferred upon
parties in formal civil marriages. CEDAW Gen. Rec. Nos. 21, 29. Legislation should state that
both parents have the same rights and responsibilities for the care, maintenance and protection of
children. See: Section on Discrimination against Women with Respect to Children.

Discrimination against Women with Respect to Children

Legislation should state that laws and practices that deny women equal rights and responsibilities
with regard to their children constitute discrimination against women. Drafters should repeal laws
 and prohibit practices that automatically transfer guardianship to someone other than the
mother upon the fathers death or dissolution of the marriage. Legislation should prohibit
practices that allow a testator to will the guardianship of children to a person not their mother
and state that any such provisions that do so are null and void.

Laws should state that both parents, regardless of marital status, share equal rights and
responsibilities for their children, including with regard to their guardianship, wardship and
trusteeship. In cases where a child is conceived and born of an act of sexual assault, however,
legislation should deny these equal rights, custody, guardianship, wardship and visitation
privileges to the biological father who committed the rape.

Discrimination against women in land and property rights

Legislation should guarantee women equal rights to conclude contracts and to administer
property. Specifically, legislation should grant women the independent right to enter a contract
and access credit without requiring her husband or male relatives permission or guarantee. Laws
should treat women and men equally in all stages of procedure in courts and tribunals.

Land reform and redistribution programs should ensure womens right to be a beneficiary of these
schemes on equal terms with men. Legislation should take into account traditional roles and how
it may impede womens access to land in registration systems. Administrative forms that employ
the head of household concept discriminate against women in practice and should either
eliminate this concept or else include other measures to ensure womens equal access. For
example, land redistribution programs that require registration by the household head should
ensure that such land is titled jointly in both spouses names, even if only one spouse registers.

What are Womens human rights?

Womens rights are the fundamental human rights that were enshrined by the United Nations for every

human being on the planet nearly 70 years ago. These rights include the right to live free from violence,

slavery, and discrimination; to be educated; to own property; to vote; and to earn a fair and equal wage.

As the now-famous saying goes, womens rights are human rights. That is to say, women are entitled to

all of these rights. Yet almost everywhere around the world, women and girls are still denied them, often

simply because of their gender.

Winning rights for women is about more than giving opportunities to any individual woman or girl; it is

also about changing how countries and communities work. It involves changing laws and policies,

winning hearts and minds, and investing in strong womens organizations and movements.