History - A new focus on women's human rights
Amnesty International launched its first ever global campaign on the human rights of women in 1994 with the declaration that "Human rights are women's right."
The women's campaign signaled a new emphasis for Amnesty: members decided that the human rights of women must become a key priority of the movement's work. Since then, special attention is being given to:
- New research techniques for identifying violations against women.
- New ways of understanding violations uniquely experienced by women, such as community and domestic violence allowed by governments, and rape in times of war.
- The development of new tactics for stopping these violations.
Amnesty representatives were important players at the Fourth UN World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995. And Amnesty continues to call on governments to support the Conference's "Platform of Action" aimed at making respect for the human rights of women a reality.
Today, defending the human rights of women remains a top priority for the international movement and for Amnesty International Canada.