Women's Rights in International Documents: A Sourcebook with Commentary

Women suffer from historic deprivations that have no bearing either on their social contributions or their capabilities. A number of issues important to women are also the subject of hot debate-child care, reproductive rights, pay equity, job discrimination, and others. To help redress these inequities it is important to remember that these concerns have already been dealt with on an international level through certain human rights documents that bear uniquely on women. This book serves as a documentary source for these documents. Context and perspective on the instruments are also provided, enabling readers to assess their impact and to think further about the issues raised by them. Divided into seven parts-the U.N. Charter and the International Bill of Rights; Employment, Remuneration and Education; Nationality; Marriage, Family and Children; Prostitution and Slavery; Political Rights; and All Discriminations-each instrument is preceded by a brief summary of its context. When a section contains several documents, there is a short additional statement that explains their interrelationship. The Appendix reproduces two inter-American conventions which bear on women's rights and identifies a number of international conventions which, though largely superseded by the instrument whose contents are included in this volume, bear some historical importance.

"a documentary source for international human rights documents that bear uniquely on women" -- C&RL News

"a resource that emphasizes the gap between good intentions and reality" -- American Libraries

"young adults can make use of this as a reference tool in studying not only women's rights but all human rights" -- VOYA