Part I The human rights of women and girls Poverty and inequality are significant factors that increase vulnerability to discrimination, hunger and gender-based violence. Patriarchal structures, systems and macro-economic choices devalue the lives and the contributions of women, who also suffer disproportionately from the ensuing militarization, war, violence, unemployment and precarious employment. These choices impact negatively on women’s and girls’ time, health and safety and women and girls bear the brunt of austerity measures including through budget cuts on public services, such as health, education and social security. The worst impacts of the global and national financial crises are felt by those who are poor, the majority of whom are women and girls.23 Women from ethnic, racial, religious and cultural minorities often suffer “multiple discrimination”. The issue of disability provides another example of the links between rights and between violations of rights. The United Nations has confirmed that women and girls with disabilities experience “double discrimination”, which places them at higher risk of gender-based violence, sexual abuse, neglect, maltreatment and exploitation. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the global literacy rate is as low as one per cent for women with disabilities.24 Women with disabilities face greater difficulties in securing access to adequate housing, health, education, vocational training and employment. They are also more likely than men to be institutionalized. In addition, they experience inequality in hiring, promotion rates, pay for equal work and access to training, retraining, credit and other productive resources.25 WOMEN’S HUMAN RIGHTS: A LONG WAY TO GO • Women account for two-thirds of the world’s 774 million illiterate adults. • In 1995, women comprised ten per cent of members of parliaments globally. By 2009, the rate had increased to 17 per cent. • Inadequate infrastructure and housing conditions, as well as natural hazards, disproportionately affect the health and survival of poor women. More than half of all rural households, and about a quarter of urban households in subSaharan Africa, lack ready access to potable water. • In about half the countries in Asia, women are disadvantaged by discriminatory statutory and customary laws regarding inheritance and property rights. • Customary laws restrict women’s access to land or other property in about half the countries of Asia. Discriminatory inheritance laws are also widespread in the region. • Worldwide, 67 million girls are forced into marriage before the age of 18 years. • As many as seven out of every ten women will experience violence in their lifetime. • Of the 500 largest corporations in the world, only 13 had a female Chief Executive Officer in 2009. • Each year, around 80 million women have unintended pregnancies (45 million of which end in abortion) and more than half a million women die from complications associated with pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period.25 23 Preamble; available at www.asiapacificforum.net/human-rights/women-and-girls/. 24 Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, “Discussion Paper for the Informal Session: Women with Disabilities, Note by the Secretariat”; CRPD/CSP/2012/CRP.5; para. 4, citing E. Helander, Prejudice and dignity: An introduction to community based rehabilitation; UNDP; 1998 (2nd edition). 25 United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs; The World’s Women 2010. See also APF and UNFPA; Integrating Reproductive Rights into the Work of National Human Rights Institutions of the Asia Pacific Region; 2011. Chapter 1: Why focus on women’s and girls’ human rights? | 7