Dichiarazione di Beijing ONU e l'Attualità dei Diritti umani delle donne.

Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action- Fourth World Conference on Women - 15/9/1995:
a mile stone in the struggle for  women's human rights    

Reading the Beijing Declaration I get always overwhelmed by the will of women struggling a better world. It was I believe the first time in the history of humanity that such a number of women form all over the world were able to come together and initiate a path for improving women’s lives a round the World. It is a declaration stating that human rights are also women's rights that are being forgotten, . The commitments that interested me are many,here are some:
“196(b) Advocate at all levels to enable women to influence political, economic and social decisions, processes and systems, and work towards seeking accountability from elected representatives on their commitment to gender concerns
249.[...]Governments have expressed their commitment to creating a new development paradigm that integrates environmental sustainability with gender equality and justice within and between generations as contained in chapter 24 of Agenda 21.
291[...]There should be a clear commitment to international norms and standards of equality between women and men as a basis for all actions.”

 
It was the celebration of commitments by nations and governments. It was made clear that even if women came from different countries,different social, economic, religious and culture realities they had common problems. Henceforth women’s human rights violation were declared to transcend the economic status. Women being violated happened among the rich and the poor, the high-income and the low-income. The lack of proper legislation and accountability, the paucity by policy makers in recognising these circumstances, made women twice victims leaving them feel invisible thus reducing them to silence. On that account, Universal Declaration of Human rights is insufficient to safeguard also women,girls and children. This was vastly demonstrated and declared at previous United Nations conferences and summits - on women in Nairobi in 1985, on children in New York in 1990, on environment and development in Rio De Janeiro in 1992, on human rights in Vienna in 1993, on population and development in Cairo in 1994 and on social development in Copenhagen in 1995 with the objectives of achieving equality, development and peace women’s rights violation as societies around the world often consider them as a separate entity with no rights ,or simply lesser right than a man.Societies where women are considered shadows of men are still committing crimes unpunished. It was a declaration of commitments by nations and governments to do better. But it was most of all it was a historic moment that. Not all countries have respected the commitment made in Beijing to finance programs, implement legislation for the safekeeping of women and girls.
The political and social economic situation of many countries at the present moment has become a justification for those governments to not feel as they should respect the commitments taken. There are nations that are not yet feeling pressured enough to respect the commitment develop successful national implementation strategies for the Platform for Action, for instance. Governments where still there is a culture of systematic violence against women and girls girl child. These governments as we all know do not allocate sufficient resources. the strength of these leading women , activists and influential women that helped many more women stand their ground on safeguarding themselves and their children. Some of those strong women had a crucial role in the education and empowerment of women like my mother. Empowered woman that choose not to do Genital Mutilation on her 4 daughters. To educate her son to the respect  women instilling the belief we are equal. Many women like her face hard dissents from the elders of towns that still have power over law. Her strength allowed me to leave the forceful military life.Her strength come from the strength and determination of many before her that were stepped on but managed to bass the light. It is a new dawn. The fact remains: change has come, and many women are empowered, educated and have the know how on the mechanisms of politics and policy making, have the know how to pressure and call on governments to implement change. The important fact is that there is unity in the struggle of women for human rights. Unity inspires many, men and women,  humanity is improving, and that in its self is, for the women that started this struggle decades ago, is a step forward. The women of Beijing had one message: “No more to silence. We are watching, we are empowered and not asking permission anymore. We are here to stay and see commitments been implemented by the countries we belong to”. This being said I believe in better times. After all what are human rights if not the wish and belief that inspire us to work, advocate and demand for the better world the human race has envisioned learning from its mistakes?

Resources and info:
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/beijing/pdf/Beijing%20full%20report%20E.pdf