Human rights issues confronting women and girls in the Pacific region.

Abstract

Every parent wants his or her daughter to grow up secure and happy, with access to healthcare to keep her well, access to education to give her choices in life, and the knowledge that she lives in a society that respects her, values her contribution and protects her human rights inside and outside the home. But this is not the reality for a vast number of the five million girls and women2 in the Pacific countries and territories. They do not enjoy the human rights that most of us take for granted. Women who are unable to enjoy basic human rights are prevented from reaching their human, social, economic and intellectual potential, and this has serious implications for sustainable economic development in the Pacific, the region’s security, and the ability of countries to develop resilience in the face of environmental stresses such as climate change.