Women's and Children's Rights

In a compartmentalized world, the rights of women and those of children have often been promoted in isolation from one another. The purpose of this advocacy booklet is to explore the human rights links between these two groups, the practical implications of considering them together, and four areas for strategic action.

Written for UN and other development practitioners, the booklet shows how discrimination and other human rights violations against women affect children and vice versa. It also shows how the two international treaties addressing the rights of women and children and the committees that monitor them can be used to effectively address four major development issues: promoting the human rights of adolescent girls, eliminating child marriage, preventing the spread of HIV and reducing maternal mortality.

Gender equality and the protection of human rights, especially of children and those most vulnerable, are fundamental principles of the United Nations. These rights cut across all aspects of the UN’s work and are crucial to long-term progress, including achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.