Violence against women in all its forms must be stopped. Girls must be protected and valued equally with boys in their families and by societies. Women must have access to education and health care of a high quality and to the levers of economic and political power. Family responsibilities must be shared. The right of women to control their own fertility, and equality in sexual relations, are fundamental to women's empowerment.
Freedom of expression is a prerequisite to human rights, which are women's rights.
Women's rights are human rights. Knowing that women have been demanding to be treated as human beings for thousands of years may just be the piece of knowledge it will take finally to make these ancient principles a reality. The right to safety, euality, education, health care, peace, and control over one's own body and property. The United States is not among them. The same principles are in the Contract With American Women, a statement of principles supporting the Beijing Conference's Platform for Action.