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	Women’s rights are facing an alarming backlash in many parts of the world by Dubravka Simonovic UN Working Group on discrimination against women in law and practice   Women’s rights are facing an alarming backlash in many parts of the world, and it is critically important to press on with further setting of standards on gender equality, a group of UN independent experts has warned.   “The world is at a crossroads, with the very concept of gender equality being increasingly contested in some quarters,” said the experts.   “We feel it is time to reiterate the backlash against the progress which has been made in promoting and protecting women’s human rights. The polarization in the battle for rights is being demonstrated increasingly, and regressive positions have become a serious threat to the human rights legal framework.   “The international community needs to keep moving forward on setting standards on gender equality to counter the alarming trends which are undermining human rights principles and jeopardizing the gains made in women’s rights.”   The experts restate their support for the repeal of all laws that discriminate against women on traditional, cultural or religious grounds and laws that exclusively or disproportionately criminalize action or behaviour by women and girls.   They also stress women’s rights to make decisions about their own bodies, and to receive comprehensive sexuality education so they can enjoy their right to sexual and reproductive health.   “We need more than ever to protect the fundamental principle that all rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated,” the experts said.   “Despite this unbreakable principle, upheld in the 1993 Vienna Declaration on human rights, we are witnessing efforts by fundamentalist groups to undermine the foundation on which the whole human rights system is based. Some of these efforts are based on a misuse of culture, including religion and tradition, or on claims related to State sovereignty.   “Under the disguise of protecting the family, some States are taking initiatives aimed at diluting human rights. We obviously recognise that the family is the fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection, but we insist on the need to re-assert women''s right to equality in all aspects of family life and recognise that diverse forms of families exist.”   The experts stress that discriminatory practices frequently take place within families, where, for example, women and girls may be limited to certain roles, experience harmful practices and patriarchal oppression, and suffer other human rights abuses including domestic violence and sexual abuse.   The experts insist that international human rights bodies need to guard against the backlash being witnessed, to ensure that the human rights legal framework is not undermined.   “In the current context, where women’s rights are being pushed back in all regions of the world, we need to continue denouncing any anti-rights rhetoric and actions which hinder the implementation of human rights standards, in particular regarding gender equality. Without equal rights in the family, gender equality will never be achieved,” the experts conclude. Visit the related web page
	More than 130 million girls are out of school today by The Malala Fund   Free, safe, quality education is the right of every girl.   But too many girls are still shut out of school because they have to work, are married early, or have to care for younger siblings, denying them their fundamental right to education.   When girls are educated, everyone benefits.   There are many reasons girls do not continue their schooling including poverty or traditions that do not value girls learning. Girls may drop out to marry, because of violence in or around school, or due to cost. Often there are simply no schools for girls to go to, even if they want to continue to learn.   We challenge the view that a few years of "basic" education is enough. We believe every girl should be able to receive 12 years of free, safe, quality education.   32 million primary-aged girls are still out of school around the world.   School enrolment rates for girls have improved over the past decade, but more than 30 million girls of primary-school age are still out of school today. Most of them will never enter a classroom.   98 million more girls are missing out on secondary education.   Millions more are missing out on the final years of secondary schooling but are not being counted.   Girls are often under pressure to drop out of school, even after they complete primary education. Making the transition to secondary education is critical for girls to develop important skills and confidence in order to fulfil their true potential.   Even if they do transition to secondary school, the number of girls who complete upper secondary is very low. We can’t be sure of the numbers because in many developing countries the number of girls (and boys) in or out of upper secondary is not even counted. We say: Girls count, so count girls!   In total more than 130 million girls are out of school today.   Too many girls are still shut out of school because they have to work, are married early, or have to care for younger siblings, denying them their fundamental right to education. Girls face violence preventing them from going to school in over 70 countries.   Girls'' education transforms lives, communities and countries.   12 years of quality education gives girls the skills and confidence they need to thrive at home, at work and in their communities. How can we build a healthier, more prosperous and peaceful future if half the population is not empowered through education and enabled to make informed choices about their own lives?   Education is critical to ending child marriage and giving girls and women the confidence and knowledge to take part in the sustainable development of their communities and countries.   Gender equality in education is far from achieved.   In many developing countries, the completion rates and learning levels of girls are lower than those of boys. The poorest, rural girls in developing countries spend on average less than 3 years at school.   At school, girls are often treated differently from boys, and discouraged from taking leadership roles. Lower expectations from families and school communities hinder their performance and achievement. In over 70 countries, girls face violence that prevents them from going to school.   http://www.malala.org/brookings-report Visit the related web page
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