Knowledge Building Rights Module 2 Introduction Rights enjoyed by men and women can be briefly identified as human rights. These rights have been enjoyed since the beginning of human society. These rights that were naturally assigned to people, have later been accepted at a higher degree, given a higher status and ethics attached to them. Since around the 16th century, many insurrections and revolutions spread in various countries against rulers who did not respect these rights resulting in measures being taken to establish such rights not only as traditions, customs and ethics but also as written laws or declarations. After the Second World War, declarations of such rights were made with initiatives taken by the United Nations Organization with a universal standard on a more legal basis. All human beings require certain opportunities and freedom to ensure their existence, to lead a dignified life, to realize personal advancement and also to achieve social justice. These have been accepted by society and the State as ethical and legal rights and necessary conditions or rights required for the good of individuals as well as the society. Human beings require various freedoms and opportunities in order to live decently. All human rights are common to both men and women. However, this commonality is very often limited to establish the legality of human rights only and practically, in enjoying human rights, differences in the form of gender, colour, ethnic, religious and language groups, cast and class etc. begin to manifest themselves constantly. Out of those groups, there appears to be a vast gap in the matter of enjoying human rights among men and women. The main reasons for that are the traditional cultural and social patterns, and stereotyped attitude. As a result, although women have equal legal rights, practically they have not yet been able to enjoy equal rights, freedom and opportunities as men do. Women continue to be subjected to more and more gender based discrimination and since the 1960s the women’s movement have been engaged in exerting pressure in numerous ways on the necessity for international commitments for the eradication of discrimination against women. As a result of such movements, in 1979 the United Nations passed the Convention on the Eradication of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). In addition, many other Declarations and Conventions have stressed the necessity to ensure gender equality and justice and many countries including Sri Lanka who ratified such Declarations and have been signatories to the Conventions have legally established gender equality by enshrining relevant provisions in their respective Constitutions. Therefore, it is essential to identify issues and to decide and implement laws and policies from a gender-based perspective in the legislative, executive and judicial spheres in a country as well as in all other social, economic and political activities. For a country to achieve democracy, good governance, lasting peace and sustainable development it should act with a rights-based approach. Expected results To provide an understanding of rights, discrimination and equality 94