Women's Rights Are Human Rights

At No Limits we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to reach their full potential. Encouraging education, economic opportunity and good governance, help to build a more secure and safer world – and that includes investing in women and girls.

When then First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton told the world in 1995 that "women's rights are human rights, and human rights are women's rights," she sent a message of hope and aspiration that continues to resonate today, from kitchen tables in American cities to small villages in countries around the globe.

As Secretary of State, Hillary has continued her strong commitment to human rights and women's rights. In the last year, she has appointed the first ever Ambassador for Global Women's Issues, and chaired the first UN Security Council session on violence against women. Traveling to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, she announced a $17 million program of medical help for survivors of rape and sexual assault, and more police officers and better communications to protect vulnerable women and girls.

Ending Violence Against Women Around the World

The International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA) was introduced in Congress on February 4th, by Senators John Kerry and Barbara Boxer and Representatives Bill Delahunt (D-MA), Ted Poe (R-TX) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) It is currently supported by 21 Senators and 27 Representatives, as well as hundreds of non-governmental organizations. The bipartisan bill would authorize the development of a 5-year strategy to “reduce, prevent, and respond to violence against women and girls around the globe,” supporting the work of Secretary Clinton and the Obama administration on these issues.

I-VAWA would require the U.S. government to respond to outbreaks of gender-based violence in armed conflict - such as the mass rapes now occurring in the Democratic Republic of Congo - in a timely manner. It would encourage investment in local women's organizations, expanding opportunity and enabling women and girls to live healthier, safer lives. I-VAWA can strengthen our national security by promoting peace and stability abroad.

Women's Health

"The equivalent of five jumbo jets worth of women die in labor each day, but the issue is almost never covered."
— Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, Half the Sky

After eight years of restrictive, anti-women, anti-science policy making, the Obama Administration is acting to increase access to reproductive health care for women in the United States and around the world. President Obama reversed the Global Gag Rule, which cut off U.S. funding for maternal and reproductive health care programs in developing countries.

The State Department has announced it will resume funding for the United Nations Population Fund. For all of us who have followed the heartbreaking stories of women in developing countries suffering from problems like obstetric fistula, and the too-high rate of maternal deaths, this was a truly important moment.

On May 5th, 2009, President Obama announced the Global Health Initiative: a $63 billion, six-year commitment to combat AIDS and tropical diseases such as malaria, and to help improve maternal health in the world's poorest countries. The President’s FY2011 Budget includes an increase for the Global Health Initiative to reduce maternal mortality and save the lives of women and children.

"I have been in African countries where 12 and 13 year old girls are bearing children. I have been in Asian countries where the denial of family planning consigns women to lives of oppression and hardship... We happen to think that family planning is an important part of women's health and reproductive heath includes access to abortion that I believe should be safe, legal, and rare."
— Hillary Rodham Clinton, Congressional Hearing, April 22, 2009

Resources

Women’s health: the problem of fistula

• Fistula Care (USAID’s work on fistula)
• 5 ways to make pregnancy safer

Discussion forums with the latest news on women and young people’s health and rights

• rhrealitycheck.org
• amplifyyourvoice.org
• blog.iwhc.org