Achieving Women's Economic and Social Rights

In 2005, the Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID) asked over 50 activists working in diverse settings all over the world what strategies they found most useful in their efforts to improve economic and social rights for women. What were the greatest challenges they were encountering in their work? Did the economic, social and cultural rights (ESCR) framework* actually fulfill its promise in presenting them with a new and more effective approach? This report synthesises and analyses some examples and lessons that emerged through this investigative process.

Included are insights from activists working with a variety of strategies including litigation and judicial processes, policy-making, budget analysis, UN mechanisms, fact-finding research, and campaigns and popular mobilisations. The report reflects on some of the challenges as well as the strengths of using these different approaches and profiles case studies and examples, strategies for success, and lessons from experiences with respect to translating "rights on paper" into tangible improvements in women's lives.

* For more information on the ESCR framework, please see An Activist’s Manual on the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 2003 [PDF] by Jeff King.