WOMEN'S HUMAN RIGHTS PROGRAM

Program Summary

The Women’s Human Rights Program works to improve the lives of women by using international human rights standards to advocate for women’s rights internationally, nationally, and locally in Minnesota. Through this work, the Women’s Program educates and advocates on pressing human rights issues of women, including violence against women and the link between child survival and maternal health and mortality. The Women’s Program achieves its goals through research, documentation, education and training initiatives.

Highlights

• Internationally...
  The Women’s Program works in Central and Eastern Europe, South Asia, Central America and the Caribbean, and Africa, documenting domestic violence, rape, employment discrimination and sexual harassment against women as human rights abuses. In addition, the Program conducts international training workshops on a variety of women’s human rights issues.

• Nationally...
  The Women’s Program works to educate the public about the Women's human rights issues and the impact of US policy on these rights. The Women's Program works with a national coalition to secure US ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and works to bring attention to the issue of child mortality in the United States by focusing on the connection between Women’s Rights and Child Survival.

• Locally in Minnesota...
  The Women’s Program participates in local initiatives to promote women's human rights in Minnesota, including workshops and community education programs. The Program also organizes an annual International Women’s Day Celebration co-sponsored by local women’s organizations. The Women’s Program is also collaborating on a project addressing the needs of battered immigrant, refugee and undocumented women and children. Battered Immigrant, Refugee, and Undocumented Women and Children’s Project.

• Women’s Rights and Child Survival...
  The Women’s Program is collaborating with the Children’s Program of Minnesota Advocates to focus attention on the connection between women’s human rights and child mortality. By examining the issue of child mortality, the connection between discrimination against women in education and employment, and the welfare of the entire society will be explored. The connection between child survival and women’s human rights is being examined in three countries at various stages of economic development, including Uganda, Mexico, and the United States. Through research and advocacy efforts, the project emphasizes the common issues and extent of the problem of child mortality and discrimination against women globally.