Welcome to the United Nations 
OHCHR 
Statements
Prize for Women’s Creativity in Rural life 2003 commemorating World Rural Women’s Day Acting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mr. Bertrand G. Ramcharan
15 October 2003
Share
Women’s World Summit Foundation, WWSF
Palais Wilson, Geneva, 15 October 2003
J'ai l'immense plaisir de vous souhaiter la bienvenue à cet évènement qui nous réunit tous aujourd'hui au Palais Wilson, notre – et votre - maison des droits de l'Homme. Nous sommes réunis afin de célébrer la remise des prix de la Fondation Sommet Mondial des Femmes récompensant des femmes rurales pour leur créativité. Cette initiative qui a vu le jour il y a 10 ans mérite d'être saluée.
Mme Spoerri [Conseillère d’Etat], Mme Chioma Steady [President, WWSF], Members of the Board, I would like to add my voice to yours to congratulate the laureates present today [Betty Makoni, Zimbabwe; Marta Benavides, El Salvador; Byatshandaa Jargal, Mongolia; Theresa Secord Hoffman, USA; and Association of Austrian Mountain Farmers] who represent the winners of this year’s Prize. Allow me also to thank Mme Elly Pradervand [Founder and Executive Director, WWSF] for her tireless work on behalf of the Foundation and its activities in support of women’s and children’s rights.
Today, you are honouring also the commitment of the late High Commissioner, Sergio Vieira de Mello, to the cause of women’s rights. Had he been able to be here with us today, I know that he would have been enthusiastic about taking part in your celebration. Sergio spent most of his career in the field, helping the UN to tackle many of the problems that your activities address: fighting for peace and development is what Sergio’s life was about, and he placed human rights at the centre of his combat well before he took up the leadership of our Office. He wanted us to look for ways in which human rights could make an even greater contribution to the reduction of poverty, and saw the elimination of discrimination against women as a crucial step in that direction. He wanted us to work closely with civil society and to ensure that our efforts translate into action at the national and field level. Sergio believed in what you are doing, and believed that the UN human rights system can be part of your efforts and work with you towards the realization of our common goal: the enjoyment of all human rights by all.
In that, the late High Commissioner followed in the steps of his predecessors, and I am proud to follow also in their steps in preserving that legacy: the United Nations has, from the beginning, made it clear that human rights are universal, inalienable and indivisible, and that they must be enjoyed by all without discrimination. Equality of rights for women is a founding principle of the United Nations, laid down over 50 years ago in the preamble of the UN Charter, and refined and developed in a great number of international human rights instruments – starting with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. And let me point out that it was a woman, Eleanor Roosevelt, who presided over the drafting of the Declaration, and that it was she - with another two women delegates from Asia and Latin America – who ensured that it referred specifically to equality for women. The prohibition of discrimination based on sex was later translated into the two Covenants, the one on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the one on Civil and Political Rights, both of which dedicate a separate article to the obligation to ensure that every woman enjoys all the rights they consecrate on the basis of full equality with men.
And yet, we are still having to reaffirm every day the simple fact that “women’s rights are human rights”. We re-stated that fact at the 1993 Vienna World Conference and at the 1995 Beijing Fourth World Conference for Women. It seems natural, and obvious – yet it has taken decades of struggle by women and their advocates to have this principle accepted and increasingly respected around the world. The progress that has been made is impressive, but the challenges remain enormous.
The UN human rights system has long recognized that women face particular challenges in rural areas. The 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women is the only one of the seven core UN human rights treaties to include a specific and detailed reference to the particular challenges faced by those who live in rural areas. As most of you know, article 14 of the Convention calls for efforts to eliminate discrimination to take into account the particular role and problems of rural women. It also requires measures to be taken so that rural women will, on the basis of equality with men, participate in development planning and community activities, enjoy their right to health, education, social security and an adequate standard of living, and obtain access to economic opportunities through self-help groups and co-operatives, credit and loans, marketing and technology and equal treatment in land reform.
With 174 States parties, the CEDAW Convention is the second most widely ratified human rights treaty (the Convention on the Rights of the Child is the first) and is getting close to the objective of universal ratification. And yet, the lives of the vast majority of rural women do not reflect this international commitment to equality. We know that women are often and increasingly affected by poverty, and we know that such poverty is particularly acute for women living in rural households. Even when poverty affects the entire family or household, the division of labour and responsibilities means that women often bear a disproportionate burden, as they get less access to food, education, health services or economic resources … and sometimes find themselves, particularly in times of conflict, solely responsible for the well-being of children and the elderly.
We know that women’s poverty is directly related to the absence of economic opportunities and autonomy. The activities of the women leaders and organizations you honour today seek to increase women’s access to education and to economic resources, as they seek to increase women’s participation in decision-making. A human rights approach to poverty reduction helps us recognize that – as the Beijing Platform for Action and the CEDAW Convention clearly underline - sustainable development and economic growth are possible only by improving the economic, social, political, legal and cultural status of women. A human rights approach requires the empowerment of rural women, and empowerment itself is maximized when we introduce the concept of rights and legal entitlements.
Human rights incorporate the notion of legal obligation and of accountability in policy-making, and the principles of universality, non-discrimination and equality; they emphasize the importance of participation. Women, rural women, and particularly poor rural women, are often the victims of discrimination on various grounds, including on the basis of race, colour, or religion. Governments often find it particularly difficult to address the disparities that result in limited access to public services for the rural population. When we allow such disparities to be compounded by gender discrimination, we are all failing in our commitment, and obligation, to ensure that rural women and girls also enjoy their human rights.
The prizes you are awarding today honour women leaders and organizations for their contribution to the defence of human rights, to the creation of a culture of peace, to combating poverty and malnutrition, and to the creation of economic opportunities for rural women. These are all causes central to our mandate. For decades, we have seen women, young and old, suffer from conflict as much as - and sometimes even more than - men. Women and girls can be particularly vulnerable during times of conflict, and rural women often find themselves responsible for their families and cut away from their resources as they are displaced by conflict. Yet, women are not only victims of conflict, they are also a major force in preventing and resolving it in a peaceful manner. Women have demonstrated their strength, courage and endurance during the conflicts that continue to ravage every region of the world. Our human rights obligations require us to ensure that women will also be able to play a crucial role in efforts to bring about peace. In supporting the role of women in creating a culture of peace, we improve the chances of success for reconciliation and at the same time we promote gender equality.
Because in most societies men and women continue to play different roles, we must also ensure that they are equally involved in efforts to promote sustainable development and to rebuild the economic, political and social fabric of countries affected by conflict. In the rural context, women can be particularly affected by inequality in access to land and productive resources. The Commission on Human Rights has made the equal right of women to land, housing and property a subject of particular concern. Gender discrimination in access to land, credit, marketing services or modern technology is not only a factor in keeping women and rural families in poverty, but also a major obstacle to the preservation of the environment and to sustainable development. Yet, the experience of some countries - and of many of the programmes and activities you celebrate today - shows that such problems can be addressed. Legislation and government policies must explicitly recognise women’s equal right to land and other property; policies that deny or limit the credit available to women must be reformed; women must be recruited to serve as agricultural extension workers and given access to the information and inputs that can improve agricultural productivity and allow them to set up other productive activities in rural areas. Above all, experience of efforts to support rural development has shown us that decisions taken without the involvement of women risk neglecting factors that will determine success.
Of course, from a human rights perspective, we have an even more important reason to support the equal participation of women in planning and decision-making, at every level and in every area. Women, and particularly rural women, should be involved in all decisions not only because their points of view and talents are needed, and because their participation will make for more successful decisions. Women should be involved because it is their right to participate on a basis of equality with men.
You, who are active in government, in international activities and in civil society organizations, fighting for human rights or rural development, are the key partners in our struggle. Only you can figure out what will be the best strategies in each local community that will allow women to address the problems and build upon their strengths to claim their own rights. You already know about the human rights that the world has long agreed should be enjoyed by every woman – and every man. Others will want to know more; human rights is something that we must all “learn” and cannot easily be “taught”. Genuine human rights education must involve those who want to learn more about their rights. It is only successful when we find innovative methods to help those who want to learn – including through the contribution of the media or through art and performances. The “students” must participate actively in the process of learning about their rights; this is a process that will continue throughout our lives.
The empowerment of women requires that we give priority to the obligation Governments have accepted to guarantee to all full access to education, as education is not only a right in itself, but an indispensable means of realizing all other human rights. If equal access to education poses a particular challenge in rural areas, then this is a challenge that governments have an absolute obligation to face up to. Because every child, wherever she or he may live, is equally entitled to an education designed to allow her or him to develop to their fullest potential. Girls and boys can – and must – learn about their rights in schools. Adults, including rural women, can be empowered by participating actively in the effort to increase their knowledge of their own rights and by the experience of being involved in the taking of decisions.
Allow me to end by paying tribute to the role that many of you play as leaders in your own profession and community. It is through your role and example, women and men working together, that we can make human rights a reality for every girl and boy, for every woman and man, around the world, urban or rural - however remote or poor her community may be!
I wish you all success, and promise you that this Office will continue to emphasize the central importance of the human rights of women, and to call attention to the crucial role that rural women play in promoting sustainable peace and development…
Palais Wilson, Geneva, 15 October 2003
J'ai l'immense plaisir de vous souhaiter la bienvenue à cet évènement qui nous réunit tous aujourd'hui au Palais Wilson, notre – et votre - maison des droits de l'Homme. Nous sommes réunis afin de célébrer la remise des prix de la Fondation Sommet Mondial des Femmes récompensant des femmes rurales pour leur créativité. Cette initiative qui a vu le jour il y a 10 ans mérite d'être saluée.
Mme Spoerri [Conseillère d’Etat], Mme Chioma Steady [President, WWSF], Members of the Board, I would like to add my voice to yours to congratulate the laureates present today [Betty Makoni, Zimbabwe; Marta Benavides, El Salvador; Byatshandaa Jargal, Mongolia; Theresa Secord Hoffman, USA; and Association of Austrian Mountain Farmers] who represent the winners of this year’s Prize. Allow me also to thank Mme Elly Pradervand [Founder and Executive Director, WWSF] for her tireless work on behalf of the Foundation and its activities in support of women’s and children’s rights.
Today, you are honouring also the commitment of the late High Commissioner, Sergio Vieira de Mello, to the cause of women’s rights. Had he been able to be here with us today, I know that he would have been enthusiastic about taking part in your celebration. Sergio spent most of his career in the field, helping the UN to tackle many of the problems that your activities address: fighting for peace and development is what Sergio’s life was about, and he placed human rights at the centre of his combat well before he took up the leadership of our Office. He wanted us to look for ways in which human rights could make an even greater contribution to the reduction of poverty, and saw the elimination of discrimination against women as a crucial step in that direction. He wanted us to work closely with civil society and to ensure that our efforts translate into action at the national and field level. Sergio believed in what you are doing, and believed that the UN human rights system can be part of your efforts and work with you towards the realization of our common goal: the enjoyment of all human rights by all.
In that, the late High Commissioner followed in the steps of his predecessors, and I am proud to follow also in their steps in preserving that legacy: the United Nations has, from the beginning, made it clear that human rights are universal, inalienable and indivisible, and that they must be enjoyed by all without discrimination. Equality of rights for women is a founding principle of the United Nations, laid down over 50 years ago in the preamble of the UN Charter, and refined and developed in a great number of international human rights instruments – starting with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. And let me point out that it was a woman, Eleanor Roosevelt, who presided over the drafting of the Declaration, and that it was she - with another two women delegates from Asia and Latin America – who ensured that it referred specifically to equality for women. The prohibition of discrimination based on sex was later translated into the two Covenants, the one on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the one on Civil and Political Rights, both of which dedicate a separate article to the obligation to ensure that every woman enjoys all the rights they consecrate on the basis of full equality with men.
And yet, we are still having to reaffirm every day the simple fact that “women’s rights are human rights”. We re-stated that fact at the 1993 Vienna World Conference and at the 1995 Beijing Fourth World Conference for Women. It seems natural, and obvious – yet it has taken decades of struggle by women and their advocates to have this principle accepted and increasingly respected around the world. The progress that has been made is impressive, but the challenges remain enormous.
The UN human rights system has long recognized that women face particular challenges in rural areas. The 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women is the only one of the seven core UN human rights treaties to include a specific and detailed reference to the particular challenges faced by those who live in rural areas. As most of you know, article 14 of the Convention calls for efforts to eliminate discrimination to take into account the particular role and problems of rural women. It also requires measures to be taken so that rural women will, on the basis of equality with men, participate in development planning and community activities, enjoy their right to health, education, social security and an adequate standard of living, and obtain access to economic opportunities through self-help groups and co-operatives, credit and loans, marketing and technology and equal treatment in land reform.
With 174 States parties, the CEDAW Convention is the second most widely ratified human rights treaty (the Convention on the Rights of the Child is the first) and is getting close to the objective of universal ratification. And yet, the lives of the vast majority of rural women do not reflect this international commitment to equality. We know that women are often and increasingly affected by poverty, and we know that such poverty is particularly acute for women living in rural households. Even when poverty affects the entire family or household, the division of labour and responsibilities means that women often bear a disproportionate burden, as they get less access to food, education, health services or economic resources … and sometimes find themselves, particularly in times of conflict, solely responsible for the well-being of children and the elderly.
We know that women’s poverty is directly related to the absence of economic opportunities and autonomy. The activities of the women leaders and organizations you honour today seek to increase women’s access to education and to economic resources, as they seek to increase women’s participation in decision-making. A human rights approach to poverty reduction helps us recognize that – as the Beijing Platform for Action and the CEDAW Convention clearly underline - sustainable development and economic growth are possible only by improving the economic, social, political, legal and cultural status of women. A human rights approach requires the empowerment of rural women, and empowerment itself is maximized when we introduce the concept of rights and legal entitlements.
Human rights incorporate the notion of legal obligation and of accountability in policy-making, and the principles of universality, non-discrimination and equality; they emphasize the importance of participation. Women, rural women, and particularly poor rural women, are often the victims of discrimination on various grounds, including on the basis of race, colour, or religion. Governments often find it particularly difficult to address the disparities that result in limited access to public services for the rural population. When we allow such disparities to be compounded by gender discrimination, we are all failing in our commitment, and obligation, to ensure that rural women and girls also enjoy their human rights.
The prizes you are awarding today honour women leaders and organizations for their contribution to the defence of human rights, to the creation of a culture of peace, to combating poverty and malnutrition, and to the creation of economic opportunities for rural women. These are all causes central to our mandate. For decades, we have seen women, young and old, suffer from conflict as much as - and sometimes even more than - men. Women and girls can be particularly vulnerable during times of conflict, and rural women often find themselves responsible for their families and cut away from their resources as they are displaced by conflict. Yet, women are not only victims of conflict, they are also a major force in preventing and resolving it in a peaceful manner. Women have demonstrated their strength, courage and endurance during the conflicts that continue to ravage every region of the world. Our human rights obligations require us to ensure that women will also be able to play a crucial role in efforts to bring about peace. In supporting the role of women in creating a culture of peace, we improve the chances of success for reconciliation and at the same time we promote gender equality.
Because in most societies men and women continue to play different roles, we must also ensure that they are equally involved in efforts to promote sustainable development and to rebuild the economic, political and social fabric of countries affected by conflict. In the rural context, women can be particularly affected by inequality in access to land and productive resources. The Commission on Human Rights has made the equal right of women to land, housing and property a subject of particular concern. Gender discrimination in access to land, credit, marketing services or modern technology is not only a factor in keeping women and rural families in poverty, but also a major obstacle to the preservation of the environment and to sustainable development. Yet, the experience of some countries - and of many of the programmes and activities you celebrate today - shows that such problems can be addressed. Legislation and government policies must explicitly recognise women’s equal right to land and other property; policies that deny or limit the credit available to women must be reformed; women must be recruited to serve as agricultural extension workers and given access to the information and inputs that can improve agricultural productivity and allow them to set up other productive activities in rural areas. Above all, experience of efforts to support rural development has shown us that decisions taken without the involvement of women risk neglecting factors that will determine success.
Of course, from a human rights perspective, we have an even more important reason to support the equal participation of women in planning and decision-making, at every level and in every area. Women, and particularly rural women, should be involved in all decisions not only because their points of view and talents are needed, and because their participation will make for more successful decisions. Women should be involved because it is their right to participate on a basis of equality with men.
You, who are active in government, in international activities and in civil society organizations, fighting for human rights or rural development, are the key partners in our struggle. Only you can figure out what will be the best strategies in each local community that will allow women to address the problems and build upon their strengths to claim their own rights. You already know about the human rights that the world has long agreed should be enjoyed by every woman – and every man. Others will want to know more; human rights is something that we must all “learn” and cannot easily be “taught”. Genuine human rights education must involve those who want to learn more about their rights. It is only successful when we find innovative methods to help those who want to learn – including through the contribution of the media or through art and performances. The “students” must participate actively in the process of learning about their rights; this is a process that will continue throughout our lives.
The empowerment of women requires that we give priority to the obligation Governments have accepted to guarantee to all full access to education, as education is not only a right in itself, but an indispensable means of realizing all other human rights. If equal access to education poses a particular challenge in rural areas, then this is a challenge that governments have an absolute obligation to face up to. Because every child, wherever she or he may live, is equally entitled to an education designed to allow her or him to develop to their fullest potential. Girls and boys can – and must – learn about their rights in schools. Adults, including rural women, can be empowered by participating actively in the effort to increase their knowledge of their own rights and by the experience of being involved in the taking of decisions.
Allow me to end by paying tribute to the role that many of you play as leaders in your own profession and community. It is through your role and example, women and men working together, that we can make human rights a reality for every girl and boy, for every woman and man, around the world, urban or rural - however remote or poor her community may be!
I wish you all success, and promise you that this Office will continue to emphasize the central importance of the human rights of women, and to call attention to the crucial role that rural women play in promoting sustainable peace and development…