Under a customary law that still holds in parts of Albania and Kosovo, a woman raped in front of her own family may be expected to commit suicide and bring the family shame to an end. All over the world, women must combat rights abuses that emanate from legal systems, culture, and customs. Two strategic objectives in the Beijing Platform for Action, finalized after the 1995 U. N. Fourth World Conference on Women, focus specifically on the law and women's rights. To fulfill these objectives, women must understand local laws and international human rights conventions. Armed with this understanding, they can change legal systems by advocating for the fair application of laws and by influencing legislation.
Legal literacy is a critical strategy in helping women recognize and advocate for their rights.
Once women understand they are entitled to rights, they cease being victims and learn to seek redress. Effective legal literacy projects can follow a variety of different strategies to pursue these goals. Some projects organize women within their local communities to facilitate awareness- raising seminars. Others train laypeople to be communitybased organizers. These efforts serve both to educate women individually and to mobilize groups that can press for legal reforms.