Lawyers and activists have a role to play in promoting women’s rights through use of Public Interest Litigation aka PIL.
Strategic litigation can be used as a tool in advocacy. Women have always been paid less or not paid at all and their careers are interrupted by child-rearing.
It is interesting to note that women are the main providers of healthcare, food, education and water when the state fails to provide these basic services.
International human rights framework allows activists and other practitioners to connect with the international practitioners who are struggling with the issues at hand all over the world.
We’ve women among us experiencing multiple discrimination such as women with disability, migrant women and race among others.
The process of claiming economic, social and cultural rights requires close collaboration between activists, lawyers and women whose rights have been violated.
Right to access education
Access to education is both an end in itself and a means for society and individuals to grow. We as citizens, we have freedom to choose the type and even content of education under international law.
Education should at all times be adaptable, accessible, acceptable and available.
We all have a minimum obligation of accessing at least primary education. States are required under the international law that boys are not given preferential treatment over girls.
States must put in place measures to ensure that children are protected on their way to and from school.
States are required under international law to provide adult and vocational education as well as life long learning.
Highest attainable standards of physical and mental health
International law provides that each person should live in dignity. We’re all entitled to the best available healthcare. All people should also be able to access accurate info on sexual and reproductive health.
Under the right to health provides that women should be able to have full control of their bodies as well as their health.
Special attention should be given to women with disabilities. The term inter-sectional discrimination is used to sum up all that we are saying here.
Marriage and family
Women have the right to choose their marriage freely. They should be given equal opportunities in dissolution of marriage, court proceedings entering into contracts and acquiring loans.
Women should be given a chance to decide on the number and spacing of children.
