Women's Legal Rights
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| Unequal access to government forums restrains women and their potential contributions to economic and social development.
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Limitations on women's legal rights and participation in civil society are widespread. In no region in the developing world do women and men have equal access to education, financial services, and other economic assets.
Legal and customary restrictions on women's land and property ownership continue to hamper women's ability to acquire productive assets and to reduce their vulnerability when family crisis or some other calamity strikes.
Despite some recent progress, women around the world are still largely absent from national and local decision-making bodies.
Unequal access to government forums restrains women and their potential contributions to economic and social development. Yet women have a right to participate in decisions that affect them, their families and their communities.
USAID helps countries address barriers to women's participation in formal employment, ensures women's access to financial services such as credit and savings, improves the nature and conditions of the work women do, and provides adequate support when women leave the labor market.
The WID Office is working to increase public awareness of women's legal rights, and is building support through countries' legislative and judicial branches and through their civil society organizations.
Freedom, the protection of fundamental human rights, economic opportunity and prosperity, equality and the rule of law - these are all elements of the democratic process. Women are integral to the process of building responsible governments and democratic institutions. Women's participation and empowerment at all levels of society will be key to moving these new democracies forward.
— Former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice |
Recent Activities
The Women's Legal Rights Initiative
Please see the Activity Archives for a list of completed Women's Legal Rights activities.
Key Publications
 Practical Guide and Methods to Advance Women's Legal Rights: Final Report of Women's Legal Rights Initiative; 1/2007 [PDF, 7.6MB]
Women's Legal Rights Year Three Report: Best Practices; 06/2006 [PDF, 749kb]
Full List of Publications
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