The old saying that the longest journey begins with a single step applies here. All over the world, many people have begun to take small steps towards establishing full citizenship for women and girls in a just society. Although beliefs and practices do not change magically with the ratification of treaties, they are a vital first step because they lay the groundwork for ongoing social and legal reform. The Convention on the Rights of the Child is critical because of the broad overlay between women's and children's rights. Gender violence becomes a feature of a girl's life long before adulthood, whether in the home or as part of a broader social pattern of abuse.
Specific injunctions target harmful traditional practices, sexual abuse and trafficking in children.
Now that the CRC has been ratified by all but two countries on earth, actions are under way in many nations to make it a real force in children's lives. For example, juvenile justice systems are being reformed in about half the countries in Latin America, and a number of countries, most notably in the Philippines, have strengthened laws protecting children against sexual exploitation. The rights of women and girls are an inalienable, integral part of human rights. But the commitments made in Vienna, Cairo and Beijing will be real only when girls and women can live without fear of violence. We need to help entire communities recognize the symptoms of violence and confront the causes.