Amerii anRhetorii .com m rc n h t rcc m A e c a R e o c .

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H illaryR od ha m Clin t o n
RemarkstotheU.N.4thWorldConferenceonWomenPlenarySession

delivered5September1995,Beijing,China

AUTHENTICITYCERTIFIED:Textversionbelowtranscribeddirectlyfromaudio andeditedforcontinuity

Thankyouverymuch,GertrudeMongella,foryourdedicatedworkthathasbroughtustothis point,distinguisheddelegates,andguests: IwouldliketothanktheSecretaryGeneralforinvitingmetobepartofthisimportantUnited NationsFourthWorldConferenceonWomen.Thisistrulyacelebration,acelebrationofthe contributionswomenmakeineveryaspectoflife:inthehome,onthejob,inthecommunity, asmothers,wives,sisters,daughters,learners,workers,citizens,andleaders. Itisalsoacomingtogether,muchthewaywomencometogethereverydayineverycountry. Wecometogetherinfieldsandfactories,invillagemarketsandsupermarkets,inlivingrooms andboardrooms.Whetheritiswhileplayingwithourchildreninthepark,orwashingclothes inariver,ortakingabreakattheofficewatercooler,wecometogetherandtalkaboutour aspirationsandconcern.Andtimeandagain,ourtalkturnstoourchildrenandourfamilies. Howeverdifferentwemayappear,thereisfarmorethatunitesusthandividesus.Weshare acommonfuture,andweareheretofindcommongroundsothatwemayhelpbringnew dignityandrespecttowomenandgirlsallovertheworld,andinsodoingbringnewstrength andstabilitytofamiliesaswell. BygatheringinBeijing,wearefocusingworldattentiononissuesthatmattermostinour livesthelivesofwomenandtheirfamilies:accesstoeducation,healthcare,jobsand credit,thechancetoenjoybasiclegalandhumanrightsandtoparticipatefullyinthepolitical lifeofourcountries.

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Therearesomewhoquestionthereasonforthisconference.Letthemlistentothevoicesof womenintheirhomes,neighborhoods,andworkplaces.Therearesomewhowonderwhether thelivesofwomenandgirlsmattertoeconomicandpoliticalprogressaroundtheglobe.Let themlookatthewomengatheredhereandatHuairouthehomemakersandnurses,the teachersandlawyers,thepolicymakersandwomenwhoruntheirownbusinesses.Itis conferenceslikethisthatcompelgovernmentsandpeopleseverywheretolisten,look,and facetheworldsmostpressingproblems.Wasntitafterallafterthewomensconferencein Nairobitenyearsagothattheworldfocusedforthefirsttimeonthecrisisofdomestic violence? Earliertoday,IparticipatedinaWorldHealthOrganizationforum.Inthatforum,wetalked aboutwaysthatgovernmentofficials,NGOs,andindividualcitizensareworkingtoaddress thehealthproblemsofwomenandgirls.Tomorrow,IwillattendagatheringoftheUnited NationsDevelopmentFundforWomen.There,thediscussionwillfocusonlocalandhighly successfulprogramsthatgivehardworkingwomenaccesstocreditsotheycanimprove theirownlivesandthelivesoftheirfamilies. Whatwearelearningaroundtheworldisthatifwomenarehealthyandeducated,their familieswillflourish.Ifwomenarefreefromviolence,theirfamilieswillflourish.Ifwomen haveachancetoworkandearnasfullandequalpartnersinsociety,theirfamilieswill flourish.Andwhenfamiliesflourish,communitiesandnationsdoaswell.Thatiswhyevery woman,everyman,everychild,everyfamily,andeverynationonthisplanetdoeshavea stakeinthediscussionthattakesplacehere. Overthepast25years,Ihaveworkedpersistentlyonissuesrelatingtowomen,children,and families.Overthepasttwoandahalfyears,I'vehadtheopportunitytolearnmoreaboutthe challengesfacingwomeninmyowncountryandaroundtheworld. IhavemetnewmothersinIndonesia,whocometogetherregularlyintheirvillagetodiscuss nutrition,familyplanning,andbabycare.IhavemetworkingparentsinDenmarkwhotalk aboutthecomforttheyfeelinknowingthattheirchildrencanbecaredforinsafe,and nurturingafterschoolcenters.IhavemetwomeninSouthAfricawhohelpedleadthe struggletoendapartheidandarenowhelpingtobuildanewdemocracy.Ihavemetwiththe leadingwomenofmyownhemispherewhoareworkingeverydaytopromoteliteracyand betterhealthcareforchildrenintheircountries.IhavemetwomeninIndiaandBangladesh whoaretakingoutsmallloanstobuymilkcows,orrickshaws,orthreadinordertocreatea livelihoodforthemselvesandtheirfamilies.IhavemetthedoctorsandnursesinBelarusand UkrainewhoaretryingtokeepchildrenaliveintheaftermathofChernobyl. Thegreatchallengeofthisconferenceistogivevoicetowomeneverywherewhose experiencesgounnoticed,whosewordsgounheard.Womencomprisemorethanhalfthe worldspopulation,70%oftheworldspoor,andtwothirdsofthosewhoarenottaughtto readandwrite.Wearetheprimarycaretakersformostoftheworldschildrenandelderly.

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Yetmuchoftheworkwedoisnotvaluednotbyeconomists,notbyhistorians,notby popularculture,notbygovernmentleaders. Atthisverymoment,aswesithere,womenaroundtheworldaregivingbirth,raising children,cookingmeals,washingclothes,cleaninghouses,plantingcrops,workingon assemblylines,runningcompanies,andrunningcountries.Womenalsoaredyingfrom diseasesthatshouldhavebeenpreventedortreated.Theyarewatchingtheirchildren succumbtomalnutritioncausedbypovertyandeconomicdeprivation.Theyarebeingdenied therighttogotoschoolbytheirownfathersandbrothers.Theyarebeingforcedinto prostitution,andtheyarebeingbarredfromthebanklendingofficesandbannedfromthe ballotbox. Thoseofuswhohavetheopportunitytobeherehavetheresponsibilitytospeakforthose whocouldnot.AsanAmerican,Iwanttospeakforthosewomeninmyowncountry,women whoareraisingchildrenontheminimumwage,womenwhocantaffordhealthcareorchild care,womenwhoselivesarethreatenedbyviolence,includingviolenceintheirownhomes. Iwanttospeakupformotherswhoarefightingforgoodschools,safeneighborhoods,clean air,andcleanairwavesforolderwomen,someofthemwidows,whofindthat,afterraising theirfamilies,theirskillsandlifeexperiencesarenotvaluedinthemarketplaceforwomen whoareworkingallnightasnurses,hotelclerks,orfastfoodchefssothattheycanbeat homeduringthedaywiththeirchildrenandforwomeneverywherewhosimplydonthave timetodoeverythingtheyarecalledupontodoeachandeveryday. Speakingtoyoutoday,Ispeakforthem,justaseachofusspeaksforwomenaroundthe worldwhoaredeniedthechancetogotoschool,orseeadoctor,orownproperty,orhavea sayaboutthedirectionoftheirlives,simplybecausetheyarewomen.Thetruthisthatmost womenaroundtheworldworkbothinsideandoutsidethehome,usuallybynecessity. Weneedtounderstandthereisnooneformulaforhowwomenshouldleadourlives.Thatis whywemustrespectthechoicesthateachwomanmakesforherselfandherfamily.Every womandeservesthechancetorealizeherownGodgivenpotential.Butwemustrecognize thatwomenwillnevergainfulldignityuntiltheirhumanrightsarerespectedandprotected. Ourgoalsforthisconference,tostrengthenfamiliesandsocietiesbyempoweringwomento takegreatercontrolovertheirowndestinies,cannotbefullyachievedunlessallgovernments hereandaroundtheworldaccepttheirresponsibilitytoprotectandpromote internationallyrecognizedhumanrights.Theinternationalcommunityhaslongacknowledged andrecentlyreaffirmedatViennathatbothwomenandmenareentitledtoarangeof protectionsandpersonalfreedoms,fromtherightofpersonalsecuritytotherightto determinefreelythenumberandspacingofthechildrentheybear.Nooneshouldbeforced toremainsilentforfearofreligiousorpoliticalpersecution,arrest,abuse,ortorture.

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Tragically,womenaremostoftentheoneswhosehumanrightsareviolated.Evennow,inthe late20thcentury,therapeofwomencontinuestobeusedasaninstrumentofarmedconflict. Womenandchildrenmakeupalargemajorityoftheworldsrefugees. Andwhenwomenareexcludedfromthepoliticalprocess,theybecomeevenmorevulnerable toabuse.Ibelievethatnow,ontheeveofanewmillennium,itistimetobreakthesilence.It istimeforustosayhereinBeijing,andfortheworldtohear,thatitisnolongeracceptable todiscusswomensrightsasseparatefromhumanrights. Theseabuseshavecontinuedbecause,fortoolong,thehistoryofwomenhasbeenahistory ofsilence.Eventoday,therearethosewhoaretryingtosilenceourwords.Butthevoicesof thisconferenceandofthewomenatHuairoumustbeheardloudlyandclearly: Itisaviolationofhumanrightswhenbabiesaredeniedfood,ordrowned,or suffocated,ortheirspinesbroken,simplybecausetheyareborngirls. Itisaviolationofhumanrightswhenwomenandgirlsaresoldintotheslaveryof prostitutionforhumangreedandthekindsofreasonsthatareusedtojustifythis practiceshouldnolongerbetolerated. Itisaviolationofhumanrightswhenwomenaredousedwithgasoline,setonfire,and burnedtodeathbecausetheirmarriagedowriesaredeemedtoosmall. Itisaviolationofhumanrightswhenindividualwomenarerapedintheirown communitiesandwhenthousandsofwomenaresubjectedtorapeasatacticorprize ofwar. Itisaviolationofhumanrightswhenaleadingcauseofdeathworldwideamong womenages14to44istheviolencetheyaresubjectedtointheirownhomesbytheir ownrelatives. Itisaviolationofhumanrightswhenyounggirlsarebrutalizedbythepainfuland degradingpracticeofgenitalmutilation. Itisaviolationofhumanrightswhenwomenaredeniedtherighttoplantheirown families,andthatincludesbeingforcedtohaveabortionsorbeingsterilizedagainst theirwill. Ifthereisonemessagethatechoesforthfromthisconference,letitbethathumanrightsare womensrightsandwomensrightsarehumanrightsonceandforall.Letusnotforgetthat amongthoserightsaretherighttospeakfreelyandtherighttobeheard.

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Womenmustenjoytherightstoparticipatefullyinthesocialandpoliticallivesoftheir countries,ifwewantfreedomanddemocracytothriveandendure.Itisindefensiblethat manywomeninnongovernmentalorganizationswhowishedtoparticipateinthisconference havenotbeenabletoattendorhavebeenprohibitedfromfullytakingpart. Letmebeclear.Freedommeanstherightofpeopletoassemble,organize,anddebate openly.Itmeansrespectingtheviewsofthosewhomaydisagreewiththeviewsoftheir governments.Itmeansnottakingcitizensawayfromtheirlovedonesandjailingthem, mistreatingthem,ordenyingthemtheirfreedomordignitybecauseofthepeaceful expressionoftheirideasandopinions. Inmycountry,werecentlycelebratedthe75thanniversaryofWomensSuffrage.Ittook150 yearsafterthesigningofourDeclarationofIndependenceforwomentowintherighttovote. Ittook72yearsoforganizedstruggle,beforethathappened,onthepartofmanycourageous womenandmen.ItwasoneofAmericasmostdivisivephilosophicalwars.Butitwasa bloodlesswar.Suffragewasachievedwithoutashotbeingfired. Butwehavealsobeenreminded,inVJDayobservanceslastweekend,ofthegoodthat comeswhenmenandwomenjointogethertocombattheforcesoftyrannyandtobuilda betterworld.Wehaveseenpeaceprevailinmostplacesforahalfcentury.Wehaveavoided anotherworldwar.Butwehavenotsolvedolder,deeplyrootedproblemsthatcontinueto diminishthepotentialofhalftheworldspopulation. Nowitisthetimetoactonbehalfofwomeneverywhere.Ifwetakeboldstepstobetterthe livesofwomen,wewillbetakingboldstepstobetterthelivesofchildrenandfamiliestoo. Familiesrelyonmothersandwivesforemotionalsupportandcare.Familiesrelyonwomen forlaborinthehome.Andincreasingly,everywhere,familiesrelyonwomenforincome neededtoraisehealthychildrenandcareforotherrelatives. Aslongasdiscriminationandinequitiesremainsocommonplaceeverywhereintheworld,as longasgirlsandwomenarevaluedless,fedless,fedlast,overworked,underpaid,not schooled,subjectedtoviolenceinandoutsidetheirhomesthepotentialofthehuman familytocreateapeaceful,prosperousworldwillnotberealized. Letthisconferencebeourandtheworldscalltoaction.Letusheedthatcallsowecan createaworldinwhicheverywomanistreatedwithrespectanddignity,everyboyandgirlis lovedandcaredforequally,andeveryfamilyhasthehopeofastrongandstablefuture.That istheworkbeforeyou.Thatistheworkbeforeallofuswhohaveavisionoftheworldwe wanttoseeforourchildrenandourgrandchildren.

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Thetimeisnow.Wemustmovebeyondrhetoric.Wemustmovebeyondrecognitionof problemstoworkingtogether,tohavethecommenteffortstobuildthatcommongroundwe hopetosee. God'sblessingonyou,yourwork,andallwhowillbenefitfromit. Godspeedandthankyouverymuch.

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