Women of the world: the past, the present, the future

A book exhibition "Women of the world: the past, the present, the future” timed to the International Women’s Day runs at the Official Documents Reading Room (2nd floor, room 207) from March 3 to April 4.

This Day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1977 (resolution A/RES/32/142) and is observed annually on March 8.

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

Achievement of the equality between men and women and the advancement of women is an indispensable condition for a healthy, educated, peaceful and prospering society. Today, none of the most serious social, economic and political problems can be solved without women’s participation.

At present women are getting more and more confident of future. Their struggle for equality, justice, peace and development has given a result. The number of countries adopting laws on protection of sexual and reproductive health and the gender equality is constantly increasing. The code of international-coordinated strategies, standards, programs and purposes called to improve the position of women all over the world has been developed. In many countries women accept the challenge assuming executive positions and promoting the changes in their countries and on the international stage. Women hold posts in official bodies at various levels, participate in business management, create and head many commercial organizations and currently present in all spheres of professional work and in the private sector.

Nevertheless, there is still much to do. The rate of maternal mortality is still excessive; many women have no access to family planning services; the issues of violence against women and the gender discrimination stay urgent. Therefore the annual observance of the International Women’s Day allows to estimate the achievements of the last years, to develop successes and to correct defects.

Women participate in the development of the Belarusian society. They make 53,4 % of the total number of population in our country. The state policy in the Republic of Belarus concerning women is aimed at the exercise of their political, social, economic and cultural rights. The State takes appropriate measures for reforming the legislation in the interests of women, develops and implements social and economic programs on the improvement of the position of women and strengthening and support of the family, and controls the exercise of the rights of women. The development of the women’s movement, the expansion of social partnership between female public organizations and the governmental structures and carrying out of gender research promote the social status of women as well.

The exhibition includes the subject sections as follow:

• Women of the world: the historical retrospective review;
• The many-sided role of women in society (women in policy, economy, family and culture);
• International legal documents on the advancement of women;
• Women’s health and education;
• The elimination of violence against women;
• Gender equality issues;
• The status of women in the Republic of Belarus.

The exposition houses more than 100 documents of international organizations in Russian, English, French and German: brochures, the United Nations mimeographed documents, periodicals and booklets.

The exhibition is designed for lawyers, historians, sociologists, heads and representatives of the state structures and non-governmental organizations, professors teaching social and political disciplines, students, and everyone who is interested in the issues of gender ideology and sociology.

Useful links

Documents

• Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action adopted by the Fourth World Conference on Women, – 15 September, 1995. Beijing, 4
• Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action: the implementation review
• Parliamentarians’ Handbook: The Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and Optional Protocol
• The Equality between Men and Women and the Advancement of Women (the excerpt from the World Summit 2005 Outcome Document)
• Declarations and Conventions

The United Nations activities

• The United Nations Secretary-General’s Campaign to Stop Violence against Women
• The article of the United Nations Secretary-General in The International Herald Tribune
• The United Nations for women
• Human traffic
• Women struggle for the equality, the family and peace
• Promotin of the equiality between menand women and the advancement of women
• The United Nations for the advancement of women
• Women,  peace and security
• The United Nations news

The United Nations organizations

• The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
• The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
• The United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (UN INSTRAW)
• The United Nations Development Fund for Women

Conferences and events

• The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (25 November)
• The session of the Commission on the Status of Women (Beijing+10) (28 February – 11 March, 2005)
• The 23rd Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly (Beijing+5) (5–9 June, 2000)
• The Fourth World Conference on Women (4–15 September 1995)