- The Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and other
international instruments reaffirm the principles of equality and non-discrimination.
- Recalling the consistent efforts of the international community in promoting gender
equality through the convening of World Conferences on Women and that the Vienna
Declaration and Programme of Action adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights, the
Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action adopted at the Fourth World Conference on
Women and the outcome document of the twenty-third special session of the General
Assembly, entitled ‘Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the
twenty-first century’ emphasized that all human rights of women and of the
girl-child, are an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of universal human rights.
The Platform for Action reaffirms that all human rights – civil, cultural, economic,
political and social, including the right to development are universal, indivisible,
interdependent and interrelated.
- The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action indicated that many women face
additional barriers to the enjoyment of their human rights because of such factors as
their race, language, ethnicity, culture, religion, disability, or socio-economic class or
because they are indigenous people, migrants, including women migrant workers, displaced
women or refugees. Also the Outcome Document of the special session indicates that in
situations of armed conflict and foreign occupation, human rights of women have been
extensively violated. Amongst the further actions and initiatives to implement the
Platform adopted by the special session of the General Assembly on Beijing + 5 were
several directed at the elimination of racially motivated violence against women and
girls.
- Recalls the efforts of the international community in combating racism, racial
discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
- There has been growing recognition that various types of discrimination do not always
affect women and men in the same way. Moreover, gender discrimination may be intensified
and facilitated by all other forms of discrimination. It has been increasingly recognized
that without gender analysis of all forms of discrimination, including multiple forms of
discrimination, and , in particular, in this context, racial discrimination, xenophobia
and related intolerance, violations of the human rights of women might escape detection
and remedies to address racism may also fail to meet the needs of women and girls. It is
also important that efforts to address gender discrimination incorporate approaches to the
elimination of all forms of discrimination, including racial discrimination.
- In its resolution 52/111 the General Assembly decided to convene a World Conference
Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance in Durban, South
Africa from 31 August to 7 September 2001, and proclaimed 2001 as the International Year
of Mobilization against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance.
It is therefore timely that the gender dimensions of racism, racial discrimination,
xenophobia and related intolerance are addressed by the Commission on the Status of Women.
- The increasing gravity of different manifestations of racism, racial discrimination and
xenophobia in various parts of the world requires a more integrated and effective approach
on the part of relevant mechanisms of the United Nations human rights machinery. These
trends affect the implementation of Beijing+5 "Women 2000: gender equality,
development and peace for the twenty-first century’ as well as to the relevant
international instruments against discrimination.
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Actions to be taken by Governments, the United Nations and civil society, as
appropriate
A. An integrated, holistic approach to address multiple forms of discrimination against
women and girls, in particular, racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related
intolerance
- Examine the intersection of multiple forms of discrimination including their root causes
from a gender perspective with special emphasis on gender-based racial discrimination in
order to develop and implement strategies, policies and programmes aimed at elimination of
all forms of discrimination against women, and to increase the role women play in the
design, implementation and monitoring of gender-sensitive anti-racist policies,
- Establish and strengthen effective partnerships with and provide support, as
appropriate, to all relevant actors of civil society, including non-governmental
organizations working to promote gender equality and advancement of women, particularly
women subject to multiple discrimination to promote an integrated and holistic approach to
the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and girls,
- Acknowledge the need to address the issues of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia
and related intolerance as and where they affect young women and men, boys and girls and
recognize the role they play in the fight against racism, racial discrimination,
xenophobia and related intolerance, including particular forms of racism experienced by
young women and girls, and support the fundamental role played by youth NGOs in educating
young people and children to build a society based on respect and solidarity,
- Promote respect for and value of the full diversity of women's and girls’
situations and conditions and recognize that some women face particular barriers to their
empowerment and ensure that the goals of achieving gender equality and advancement of
women, including marginalized women are reflected in all strategies, policies and
programmes aimed at elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and girls.
Mainstream a gender perspective into the preparation and implementation of policies
integrating multiculturalism, ensuring the full enjoyment of all human rights and
fundamental freedoms by all women and girls and reaffirming that human rights - civil,
cultural, economical, political and social, including the right to development are
universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated,
- Promote recognition that the empowerment of women is an essential component of a
proactive strategy to fight racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and other forms of
related intolerance and take measures to empower women subject to multiple discrimination
to fully exercise their rights in all spheres of life and play an active role in the
design and implementation of policies and measures which affect their lives,
- Take action to raise awareness of and to promote eradication of all forms of
discrimination including multiple discrimination experienced by women through inter alia,
education and mass media campaigns,
- The Platform for Action recognized that women face barriers to full equality and
advancement because of such factors as their race, age, language, ethnicity, culture,
religion or disability, because they are indigenous women or of other status. Many women
encounter specific obstacles related to their family status, particularly as single
parents; and their socio-economic status, including their living conditions in rural,
isolated or impoverished areas. Additional barriers also exist for refugee women, other
displaced women, including internally displaced women, as well as for immigrant women and
migrant women, including women migrant workers. Many women are also particularly affected
by environmental disasters, serious and infectious diseases and various forms of violence
against women,
- Acknowledge that racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance
manifest themselves in a differentiated manner for women, increasing poverty, causing
their living conditions to deteriorate, generating violence, and limiting or denying them
the full enjoyment and exercise of all their human rights,
- Ensure the full and equal opportunity for the sustained participation and representation
of indigenous women and girls, and women and girls as appropriate from culturally diverse
background in all relevant decision-making processes,
- Ensure that the Commission on the Status of Women takes account of the impact of all
forms of discrimination including multiple discrimination on women’s advancement in
its work,
- Acknowledge the ongoing work of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination
against Women and the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in taking into
account the impact of multiple forms of discrimination on women's advancement and the
achievement of gender equality,
B. Policies, legal measures, mechanisms and machineries
- Establish and/or strengthen, where appropriate, legislation and regulations against all
forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, including
their gender-based manifestations,
- Condemn all forms of racism and racial discrimination, including propaganda, activities
and organizations based on doctrines of superiority of one race or group of persons that
attempt to justify or promote racism or racial discrimination in any form,
- Take concrete measures to promote equality based on the elimination of gender and racial
prejudice in all fields, through inter alia, improving access to education, health care,
employment and other basic services to promote full enjoyment of economic, social and
cultural rights for all women and girls,
- Take measures to address through policies and programmes, racism and racially motivated
violence against women and girls and to increase co-operation, policy responses, effective
implementation of national legislation and other protective and preventive measures aimed
at the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls,
- Review where appropriate national legal and other mechanisms, including the criminal
justice system, to ensure equality before the law so that women and girls can seek
protection, shelter, and remedies against all forms of discrimination, including
intersectional discrimination,
- Review, where appropriate, policies and laws, including those on citizenship,
immigration and asylum for their impact on the elimination of all forms of discrimination
against women and the achievement of gender equality,
- Design and implement policies and measures that address all forms of violence against
women and girls. Empower victims of all forms of violence, in particular women and girls,
to regain control over their lives, inter alia, through special protection and assistance
measures,
- Devise, enforce and strengthen effective measures to combat and eliminate all forms of
trafficking in women and girls through a comprehensive anti-trafficking strategy
consisting of, inter alia, legislative measures, prevention campaigns, information
exchange, assistance and protection for and reintegration of the victims and prosecution
of all the offenders involved, included intermediaries,
- Develop and implement policies to ensure the full enjoyment of all human rights and
fundamental freedoms by all women and girls regardless of race, color, descent or national
or ethnic origin,
- Take measures, as appropriate, to promote and strengthen policies and programmes for
indigenous women with their full participation and respect for their cultural diversity,
to combat discrimination based on gender and race, to ensure their full enjoyment of all
human rights,
- Review and revise , as appropriate, emigration policies with a view to eliminating all
discriminatory policies and practices against migrants, specially women and children, and
to protect fully all their human rights, regardless of their legal status, as well as to
provide them with humane treatment,
- Take steps to eliminate any violations of the human rights of women refugees, asylum
seekers and internally displaced persons who are often subjected to sexual and other
violence,
- Urges all States that have not yet done so to become parties to the International
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination in order to achieve
its universal ratification emphasizes the importance of the full compliance of States
parties with the obligations they have accepted under this Convention,
- Consider signing, ratifying or acceding to the International Convention on the
Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members of Their families as a matter
of priority, and consider promoting ratification of the relevant conventions of the
International Labour Organization,
C. Change attitudes, eliminate stereotypes and prejudice
- Develop gender sensitive education and training programmes aimed at eliminating
discriminatory attitudes towards women and girls, and adopt measures to address the
intersection between racist and gender based stereotypes,
- Develop and implement programmes and policies to raise awareness among all relevant
actors at national, regional and international levels to the issue of multiple
discrimination against women and girls,
- Review and update educational materials, including textbooks, and take appropriate
action to remove all elements promoting discrimination in particular gender based
discrimination, racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance,
- Ensure that education and training, especially teacher training, promote respect for
human rights, the culture of peace, gender equality, cultural, religious and other
diversity, and encourage educational and training institutions and organizations to adopt
policies of equal opportunities and follow-up their implementation with the participation
of teachers, parents, boys and girls and the community,
- Develop strategies to increase awareness among men and boys with respect to their shared
responsibility in promoting gender equality and combating all forms of discrimination, in
particular racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance as well as
multiple discrimination,
- Develop anti-racist and gender-sensitive human rights training for personnel in the
administration of justice, law enforcement agencies, security and health-care services
schools and migration authorities, paying particular attention to immigration officials,
border police and staff of migrant detention centres, as well as for UN personnel,
- Bearing in mind gender perspective, encourage the mass media to promote ideas of
tolerance and understanding among peoples and different cultures
D. Research and collection of data and information
- Develop methodologies to identify the ways in which various forms of discrimination
converge and affect women and girls and conduct studies on how racism, racial
discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance are reflected in laws, policies,
institutions and practices and how this has contributed to the vulnerability,
victimization, marginalization and exclusion of women and the girl child,
- Collect, analyse and disseminate quantitative, qualitative and gender-sensitive data
regarding the impact of all forms of discrimination including the multiple discrimination,
on women and girls and sponsor, where appropriate, surveys and community-based research,
including the collection of disaggregated data by sex, age and other factors as
appropriate,
E. Preventing conflict and promoting a culture of peace, equality,
non-discrimination, respect and tolerance
- Respect fully international human rights law and international humanitarian law
applicable to the rights and protection of women and girls. Take
special measures to protect women and girls from gender-based violence, particularly rape
and all other forms of sexual violence during armed conflict and end impunity and
prosecute those responsible, genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes,
including those relating to sexual and other gender-based violence against women and
girls,
- Violence against women and girls is a major obstacle to the achievements of the
objectives of gender equality, development and peace. Violence against women both violates
and impairs or nullifies the enjoyment by women of their human rights and fundamental
freedoms. Gender-based violence, such as battering and other domestic violence, sexual
abuse, sexual slavery and exploitation, international trafficking in women and children,
forced prostitution and sexual harassment, as well as violence against women resulting
from cultural prejudice, racism and racial discrimination, xenophobia, pornography, ethnic
cleansing, armed conflict, foreign occupation, religious and anti-religious extremism and
terrorism are incompatible with the dignity and worth of the human person and must be
combated and eliminated,
- Ensure the full and equal opportunity for sustained participation and representation of
women at all levels and in all areas in conflict prevention, management, and conflict
resolution and in post conflict peace building,
F. World Conference against Racism,
Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance.
- The Commission on the Status of Women stresses the importance of mainstreaming a gender
perspective into the preparations, work and the outcome of the World Conference, and urges
the inclusion of women in delegations to the Conference.