A/HRC/RES/20/6
and Cultural Rights, prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender and include guarantees
to ensure the enjoyment by women and men, and girls and boys, of their civil, political,
economic, social and cultural rights on a basis of equality,
Deeply concerned by the fact that women everywhere are still subject to significant
disadvantage as the result of discriminatory laws and practices and that de jure and de facto
equality has not been achieved in any country in the world,
Recognizing that women face multiple forms of discrimination,
Recognizing also that the full and equal participation of women in all spheres of life
is essential for the full and complete economic, political and social development of a
country,
Mindful of the fact that the elimination of discrimination against women requires the
consideration of women’s specific socio-economic context, and recognizing that laws,
policies, customs and traditions that restrict women’s equal access to full participation in
development processes and public and political life are discriminatory and may contribute
to the feminization of poverty,
Mindful that women and girls account for more than half of the world population,
that equal rights and opportunities are key in achieving sustainable economic, political and
social development and lasting solutions to global challenges, and that gender equality
benefits women, men, girls and boys in society as a whole,
Bearing in mind the challenges still faced by all countries throughout the world to
overcome inequality between men and women,
Reiterating the need to intensify efforts to eliminate all forms of discrimination
against women throughout the world,
Acknowledging the work undertaken by the United Nations Entity for Gender
Equality and the Empowerment of Women, the Commission on the Status of Women, the
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, the special procedures
mandate holders of the Human Rights Council on violence against women, its causes and
consequences, on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, and on
contemporary forms of slavery, and other relevant United Nations bodies, agencies and
mechanisms to eliminate discrimination in law and in practice throughout the world, and
noting the work undertaken by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights on the issue,
Considering that periods of political transition provide a unique opportunity to
advance women’s equal participation and representation in economic, political and social
spheres,
1.
Acknowledges the initial work undertaken by the Working Group on the issue
of discrimination against women in law and in practice, and takes note of its first report;1
2.
Recognizes the constructive approach of the Working Group and calls upon
it, in the discharge of its mandate, to maintain such an approach and dialogue with States to
address the elimination of discrimination against women in law and in practice in all
spheres from the perspective of States’ obligations under international human rights law,
taking into account the good practices that have been transformative in different contexts
and in the light of the different realities that women face;
1
2
A/HRC/20/28.