From 6 March to 2 April, a book exhibition "Women: equal rights, equal opportunities" dedicated to the International Women's Day runs in the Official Documents Division (2nd floor, room 207).

This day has been proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1977 (resolution A/RES/32/142) and is celebrated annually on 8 March.

The International Women’s Day or the International Day for Women’s Rights and the UN International Peace is a holiday that is widely celebrated around the world as a day of international solidarity in the struggle for women’s economic, social and political equality. In some countries, this day is a national holiday.

For women around the world, this day is one more reason to evaluate how far they have come in their struggle for equality, peace and development. Over the past decades, a considerable progress has been achieved. At this stage of progress there are many examples of this process: all this has been achieved at a great extent thanks to the determined efforts undertaken by international organizations and civil society. So throughout the world there has increased women’s access to education and quality health care, they have begun participate more actively in remunerative work, they have chief positions in business administration and public administration, as well as in social development. In addition, many countries have laws that guarantee women equal opportunities and respect for their human rights.

Nevertheless, much must be still done. So, maternal mortality rate is still extremely high, too few women in the world have access to family planning services, violence against women and gender discrimination are very acute problems. According to the UN, most of the 1.3 billion of the poor in the world constitute women. On average, women earn 30–40 % less than men for the same work. Worldwide, 603 million women live in countries where domestic violence is not considered a crime.

Today, the main principle of mobilizing for the United Nations is that no solid decision on the most serious social, economic and political problems can’t be found without the full participation of the world’s women and without granting them all the rights and opportunities. To achieve the goal on giving equal rights for men and women is an essential part of the UN activities on ensuring the secure and stable future.

Materials of the exhibition will introduce the reader to the history of a set of internationally agreed strategies, standards, programs and goals aimed at achieving equality between men and women and improving the situation of women around the world and providing them with a stable future.

The exhibition presents more than 100 publications of the UN, UNESCO, Council of Europe, the European Union and the World Bank in Russian, English, French and German languages: books, periodicals, pamphlets, booklets, UN mimeographed materials.

The exhibition includes the following sections:

women of the world: history and the present;
multifaceted role of women in society (women in politics, economy, family, culture);
international legal instruments aimed at improving the status of women;
health and education of women;
eradication of violence against women;
gender equality;
women in the Republic of Belarus.

The exhibition will be of interest to teachers of social and political sciences, students, lawyers, historians, government representatives and non-governmental organizations, as well as those who are interested in issues of gender ideology and sociology.

Reading list

Useful links

Conceptual documents on women’s rights

UN activities

Millennium Development Goals