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2. The Platform for Action reaffirms the fundamental principle set forth in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, /2 adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights, that the human rights of women and of the girl child are an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of universal human rights. As an agenda for action, the Platform seeks to promote and protect the full enjoyment of all human rights and the fundamental freedoms of all women throughout their life cycle.
Beijing Declaration (1995)
The Platform for Action remains an important part of the development of an equal global system for women with men, which benefits, apparently to the people studying the development of nations, the health and wealth of the nations and their populaces. Looking at this particular paragraph within the more substantive portions of the Beijing Declaration, we can see the work alongside, and statements concomitant with, others including the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action.
Most of the documents come with an associated meeting of some kind, which then becomes the basis for the parties or the States Parties present to be able to sign it; this one comes from the World Conference on Human Rights. It has an emphasis on women and girls and the empowerment of them through the recognition of them as a person. That is, people worth equal consideration with the others in the society at all levels.
It seems important to note the status of the rights as follows: “inalienable, integral and indivisible part of universal human rights.” They cannot be or should be violated, or they become privileges and not rights. They are integral, as in basic or fundamental to the status of persons. Consider the right to vote, does a person count as a legal person in a democracy without the right to vote or have a say in the operations in the society via its policies and programmes proposed by the various parties on offer in the nation?
Then the indivisible part of it. The idea being that if one wants one for oneself and then no right for another person; this divides the rights and makes them selective for personal benefit or gain, or the oppression of others through non-recognition of their equal full personhood, in a way, through denial of the same indivisibility principle of rights for them.
This makes for an interesting dynamic on a number of debates, not to be explored here. Now, the basic premise of the Platform for Action comes from the direct tone and statement of the title of the document. It is present as a basis upon which to take action and effectuate some level of change for the general public’s benefit – “general” here meaning global society’s citizenry. This will need to be a collective effort, not even every nation needs to partake of the efforts for equality to begin to create some positive feedback loops in the global system to produce a more equitable, fair, and just world.
I particularly like this paragraph because of the enjoyment and protection of the human rights and freedoms not simply within a select period of time for the women but for their entire lifetime. It is, in a real sense, a highly advanced ethical statement akin to the highest level of morality idealized in aspects of the religious traditions of the world and particular brands of Utilitarianism emphasizing the Golden Rule – not trivial but rather substantive.
These are then enshrined throughout – or are supposed to be – throughout the life cycle. I am sure each ofus has gone through through a period of imposition or indignity, or restriction of personal freedoms, and felt the sense of betrayal and pain coinciding with this; I am also relatively certain this leaves a stamp on the psyche for much of rest someone’s life. We value freedom and dignity – and so rights – that much.
This second paragraph of the Beijing Declaration in its Mission Statement is no different from these experiences, sensibilities, and reflections; this, as with others, simply reflects the codification of the fundamental human rights and freedoms of everyone and not only as statements but a true desires: people want to live their lives as freely and openly as possible, to worship as they please or not, to try and work hard to acquire an education or not, and to work to build a future for themselves and potentially their progeny or not. It is the aspect of being a person, choice, throughout the life cycle to be respected and enshrined in stipulations such as these.
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- The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the Preamble, Article 16, and Article 25(2).
- Convention Against Discrimination in Education (1960) in Article 1.
- The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966) in Article 3, Article 7, and Article 13.
- International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966).
- Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (1979).
- Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1984).
- The Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (1993).
- Beijing Declaration(1995).
- United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000).
- Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children (2000).
- The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa or the “Maputo Protocol” (2003).
- Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence or the Istanbul Convention (2011) Article 38 and Article 39.
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Photo by Dominik Vanyi on Unsplash