Women.docx

Women.docx

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Women

Women’srightsarehumanrights!

Whatwearelearningaroundtheworldisthatifwomenarehealthyandeducated,theirfamilieswillflourish（繁荣）.Ifwomenarefreefromviolence,theirfamilieswillflourish.Ifwomenhaveachancetoworkandearnasfullandequalpartnersinsociety,theirfamilieswillflourish.Andwhenfamiliesflourish,communitiesandnationswillflourish.Thatiswhyeverywoman,everyman,everychild,everyfamily,andeverynationonourplanethasastakeinthediscussionthattakesplacehere.

Ifthereisonemessagethatechoesforthfromthisconference,itisthathumanrightsarewomen'srights-andwomen'srightsarehumanrights.Letusnotforgetthatamongthoserightsaretherighttospeakfreely-andtherighttobeheard.Atthisverymoment,aswesithere,womenaroundtheworldaregivingbirth,raisingchildren,cookingmeals,washingclothes,cleaninghouses,plantingcrops,workingonassemblylines,runningcompanies,andrunningcountries.

Women’srightsarehumanrights!

ThegreatchallengeofthisConferenceistogivevoicetowomeneverywherewhoseexperiencesgounnoticed,whosewordsgounheard.

Womencomprisemorethanhalftheworld'spopulation.Womenare70%percentoftheworld'spoor,andtwo-thirdsofthosewhoarenottaughttoreadandwrite.

Womenaretheprimarycaretakersformostoftheworld'schildrenandelderly.Yetmuchoftheworkwedoisnotvalued-notbyeconomists,notbyhistorians,notbypopularculture,notbygovernmentleaders.

Atthisverymoment,aswesithere,womenaroundtheworldaregivingbirth,raisingchildren,cookingmeals,washingclothes,cleaninghouses,plantingcrops,workingonassemblylines,runningcompanies,andrunningcountries.

Womenalsoaredyingfromdiseasesthatshouldhavebeenpreventedortreated;theyarewatchingtheirchildrensuccumbtomalnutritioncausedbypovertyandeconomicdeprivation;theyarebeingdeniedtherighttogotoschoolbytheirownfathersandbrothers;theyarebeingforcedintoprostitution,andtheyarebeingbarredfromthebanklendingofficeandbannedfromtheballotbox.

Thoseofuswhohavetheopportunitytobeherehavetheresponsibilitytospeakforthosewhocouldnot.

AsanAmerican,Iwanttospeakupforwomeninmyowncountry-womenwhoareraisingchildrenontheminimumwage,womenwhocan'taffordhealthcareorchildcare,womenwhoselivesarethreatenedbyviolence,includingviolenceintheirownhomes.

Iwanttospeakupformotherswhoarefightingforgoodschools,safeneighborhoods,cleanairandcleanairwaves;forolderwomen,someofthemwidows,whohaveraisedtheirfamiliesandnowfindthattheirskillsandlifeexperiencesarenotvaluedintheworkplace;forwomenwhoareworkingallnightasnurses,hotelclerks,andfastfoodcookssothattheycanbeathomeduringthedaywiththeirkids;andforwomeneverywherewhosimplydon'thavetimetodoeverythingtheyarecalledupontodoeachday.

Speakingtoyoutoday,Ispeakforthem,justaseachofusspeaksforwomenaroundtheworldwhoaredeniedthechancetogotoschool,orseeadoctor,orownproperty,orhaveasayaboutthedirectionoftheirlives,simplybecausetheyarewomen.Thetruthisthatmostwomenaroundtheworldworkbothinsideandoutsidethehome,usuallybynecessity.

Weneedtounderstandthatthereisnoformulaforhowwomenshouldleadtheirlives.Thatiswhywemustrespectthechoicesthateachwomanmakesforherselfandherfamily.EverywomandeservesthechancetorealizeherGod-givenpotential.

Wealsomustrecognizethatwomenwillnevergainfulldignityuntiltheirhumanrightsarerespectedandprotected.

OurgoalsforthisConference,tostrengthenfamiliesandsocietiesbyempoweringwomentotakegreatercontrolovertheirowndestinies,cannotbefullyachievedunlessallgovernments-hereandaroundtheworld-accepttheirresponsibilitytoprotectandpromoteinternationallyrecognizedhumanrights.

Theinternationalcommunityhaslongacknowledged-andrecentlyaffirmedatVienna-thatbothwomenandmenareentitledtoarangeofprotectionsandpersonalfreedoms,fromtherightofpersonalsecuritytotherighttodeterminefreelythenumberandspacingofthechildrentheybear.

Nooneshouldbeforcedtoremainsilentforfearofreligiousorpoliticalpersecution,arrest,abuseortorture.

Tragically,womenaremostoftentheoneswhosehumanrightsareviolated.

Eveninthelate20thcentury,therapeofwomencontinuestobeusedasaninstrumentofarmedconflict.Womenandchildrenmakeupalargemajorityoftheworld'srefugees.Whenwomenareexcludedfromthepoliticalprocess,theybecomeevenmorevulnerabletoabuse.

Ibelievethat,ontheeveofanewmillennium,itistimetobreakoursilence.ItistimeforustosayhereinBeijing,andtheworldtohear,thatitisnolongeracceptabletodiscusswomen'srightsasseparatefromhumanrights.

Theseabuseshavecontinuedbecause,fortoolong,thehistoryofwomenhasbeenahistoryofsilence.Eventoday,therearethosewhoaretryingtosilenceourwords.

ThevoicesofthisconferenceandofthewomenatHuairoumustbeheardloudandclear:

Itisaviolationofhumanrightswhenbabiesaredeniedfood,ordrowned,orsuffocated,ortheirspinesbroken,simplybecausetheyareborngirls.

Itisaviolationofhumanrightswhenwomenandgirlsaresoldintotheslaveryofprostitution.

Itisaviolationofhumanrightswhenwomenaredousedwithgasoline,setonfireandburnedtodeathbecausetheirmarriagedowriesaredeemedtoosmall.

Itisaviolationofhumanrightswhenindividualwomenarerapedintheirowncommunitiesandwhenthousandsofwomenaresubjectedtorapeasatacticorprizeofwar.

Itisaviolationofhumanrightswhenaleadingcauseofdeathworldwideamongwomenages14to44istheviolencetheyaresubjectedtointheirownhomes.

Itisaviolationofhumanrightswhenyounggirlsarebrutalizedbythepainfulanddegradingpracticeofgenitalmutilation.

Itisaviolationofhumanrightswhenwomenaredeniedtherighttoplantheirownfamilies,andthatincludesbeingforcedtohaveabortionsorbeingsterilizedagainsttheirwill.

Ifthereisonemessagethatechoesforthfromthisconference,itisthathumanrightsarewomen'srights-andwomen'srightsarehumanrights.Letusnotforgetthatamongthoserightsaretherighttospeakfreely-andtherighttobeheard.

Womenmustenjoytherighttoparticipatefullyinthesocialandpoliticallivesoftheircountriesifwewantfreedomanddemocracytothriveandendure.

Itisindefensiblethatmanywomeninnongovernmentalorganizationswhowishedtoparticipateinthisconferencehavenotbeenabletoattend-orhavebeenprohibitedfromfullytakingpart.

Letmebeclear.Freedommeanstherightofpeopletoassemble,organize,anddebateopenly.Itmeansrespectingtheviewsofthosewhomaydisagreewiththeviewsoftheirgovernments.Itmeansnottakingcitizensawayfromtheirlovedonesandjailingthem,mistreatingthem,ordenyingthemtheirfreedomordignitybecauseofthepeacefulexpressionoftheirideasandopinions.

Inmycountry,werecentlycelebratedthe75thanniversaryofwomen'ssuffrage.Ittook150yearsafterthesigningofourDeclarationofIndependenceforwomentowintherighttovote.

Ittook72yearsoforganizedstruggleonthepartofmanycourageouswomenandmen.ItwasoneofAmerica'smostdivisivephilosophicalwars.Butitwasalsoabloodlesswar.Suffragewasachievedwithoutashotbeingfired.

Wehavealsobeenreminded,inV-1Dayobservanceslastweekend,ofthegoodthatcomeswhenmenandwomenjointogethertocombattheforcesoftyrannyandbuildabetterworld.

Wehaveseenpeaceprevailinmostplacesforahalfcentury.Wehaveavoidedanotherworldwar.

Butwehavenotsolvedolder,deeply-rootedproblemsthatcontinuetodiminishthepotentialofhalftheworld'spopulation.

Nowitistimetoactonbehalfofwomeneverywhere.Ifwetakeboldstepstobetterthelivesofwomen,wewillbetakingboldstepstobetterthelivesofchildrenandfamiliestoo.

Familiesrelyonmothersandwivesforemotionalsupportandcare;familiesrelyonwomenforlaborinthehome;andincreasingly,familiesrelyonwomenforincomeneededtoraisehealthychildrenandcareforotherrelatives.

Aslongasdiscriminationandinequitiesremainsocommonplacearoundtheworld-aslongasgirlsandwomenarevaluedless,fedless,fedlast,overworked,underpaid,notschooledandsubjectedtoviolenceinandoutoftheirhomes-thepotentialofthehumanfamilytocreateapeaceful,prosperousworldwillnotberealized.

LetthisConferencebeour-andtheworld's-calltoaction.

Andletusheedthecallsothatwecancreateaworldinwhicheverywomanistreatedwithrespectanddignity,everyboyandgirlislovedandcaredforequally,andeveryfamilyhasthehopeofastrongandstablefuture.

Thankyouverymuch.

God'sblessingsonyou,yourworkandallwhowillbenefitfromit.

ThegreatchallengeofthisConferenceistogivevoicetowomeneverywherewhoseexperiencesgounnoticed,whosewordsgounheard.

Womencomprisemorethanhalftheworld'spopulation.Womenare70%percentoftheworld'spoor,andtwo-thirdsofthosewhoarenottaughttoreadandwrite.

Womenaretheprimarycaretakersformostoftheworld'schildrenandelderly.Yetmuchoftheworkwedoisnotvalued-notbyeconomists,notbyhistorians,notbypopularculture,notbygovernmentleaders.

Atthisverymoment,aswesithere,womenaroundtheworldaregivingbirth,raisingchildren,cookingmeals,washingclothes