Background Information

Women were given the right to vote in 1920. In 1893, New Zealand gave women the right to vote on a national level. However, despite this, it is still difficult for women to vote in other locations around the world. For example, in Syria, women have been cut off from political engagement. In Pakistan, although voting is a right, women have been cut off from that right due to their powerful figures. 

All women have the right to make decisions about their own body. This means that they are entitled to access to health services, safe abortion, choose who and when they marry and if they want to have children, if so, how many and with who. They should be able to live without fear of gender-based violence, including rape and other sexual violence.

Around the world, those who want/need to end unplanned pregnancies put their lives at risk or even jail time. In Zimbabwe, women and girls are left vulnerable to unwanted pregnancies and higher risk of HIV infection because of widespread confusion about sexual consent.

Not all Americans are aware that human rights of women and girls are not secured in the US Constitution. Girls are affected by the absence of a solid legal foundation to challenge cultural practices such as child marriage, which remains legal in 37 states. Over 300,000 minors- some as young as ten years of age- were married between 2010 and 2018. 86% of these weddings were to grown adult men.