Summary of the United Nations Platforms for
Action for Women, 1975-1995.

Six Strategies of the Western New York

Delegation on Family Literacy Presented at the World Conference on Women, 1995

Annie Damer
Western New York Women’s Hall of Fame, inducted in 2000

When a just cause reaches its flood tide ... whatever stands in the way must fall before its overwhelming power.”

-------------------------Carrie Chapman Catt

This section contains a summary of the United Nations Platforms for Action for Women, for each of the four world conferences held from 1975 to 1995.  Also included are the six strategies that were submitted by the Western New York Family Literacy Delegation to the World Conference on Women in 1995 that were accepted by New York State, the United States, and Region Two of the United Nations.  The World Conference selected three of these strategies for inclusion in the final document in 1995.  These grassroots initiatives address many of the concerns raised by both the United States and United Nations platforms.

Introduction to the United Nations Platforms for

Action for Women

  Equality of Rights/Human Rights[1]

Mexico City (1975)
Houston (1977)

Copenhagen (1980)
Nairobi (1985)

Family Literacy Strategies—Beijing 1995
Presented by the New York State Coalition on Women’s Issues

Platform One:

Building Links Between Women/Building NGO’s

Platform Two:

Community Development: Political, Social, Cultural

Platform Three:

Educational Women and Literacy

Platform Four:

Violence Against Women

Platform Five:

Community Development, Political, Social, Cultural

Platform Six:

Women's Human Rights

Human Rights Principles and Education

Introduction to the United Nations
Platforms for Action
for Women

1975-1995

The United Nations World Conference on Women was first held in 1975 in Mexico City, initiated the International Decade of the Woman.  Since then, World Conferences on Women were held in 1980 in Copenhagen, in Nairobi in 1985, and in Beijing, China in 1995.

  The strength of the international women’s movement is indicated by the surge in participation at these conferences.  The Mexico City conference had 7,000 participants, while 50,000 governmental, individual and NGO participants attended Beijing. 

  Each conference produced a Platform for Action of recommended strategies that are directed to governments to raise the status of women.  The platforms were a direct result of year or multi-year preparation that included advocacy, consultation, and consensus building, with participants within and between government and non-governmental organizations negotiating on the plan. 

  A Non-Governmental Organization Forum (NGO) coincides with each World Conference.  This parallel conference enlarges the opportunity to influence global opinion on issues of the world conference with public debate of selected strategies and platform initiatives.  It also enables the establishment of global networks within and between women’s organizations.

  Building on the work of previous conferences, and on a series of regional conferences held in 1994, the 1995 Platform for Action strongly addresses the status of women globally.  It also represents the largest NGO forum ever held; and is therefore widely considered representative of women worldwide.

Equality of Rights/Human Rights[1]

Mexico City (1975)

Houston (1977)

·  Ratification of and compliance with international human rights and women's rights treaties

·  Ratify the Equal Rights Amendment

·  Government should enforce all current legislation that affects the lives of disabled women

·  President, Congress, and the administration should implement the recommendations of the White House Conference on Handicapped Individuals

·  Inclusion of disabled women in 1964 Civil Rights Act

·  Support US participation in and funding of the International Year of the Handicapped as proclaimed by the United Nations for 1981

·  The right of disabled women to have and keep their children

·  Enact legislation to eliminate discrimination of the basis of sexual preferences including employment, housing, public accommodations, credit, public facilities, government funding, and the military

·  Reform penal codes or repeal laws that restrict private sexual behavior between consenting adults