Senator Hillary Clinton's bid for the Democratic nomination for President was historic not only because she was the first woman to ever become a serious contender for the nomination, but also because she was the first, First Lady in history to ever run for President. Senator Clinton's campaign offers a powerful testament to the gains that women have made in the past several decade. The campaign also reminds us that despite gains there is still a long way to go. During the campaign Senator Clinton spoke often about women's rights and human rights. This advocacy on behalf of women did not begin with her presidential campaign. For most of her public life Clinton has pursued the goal of making the world a better and safe place for women and children. This advocacy culminated into a now famous speech that Senator Clinton gave in Beijing in 1995 at the U.N. 4th World Conference on Women.
Tags: Women's rights are human rights: Hillary Clinton, Hillary Clinton 1995 Beijing speech, Rhetorical devices used in women's rights
[...] When Clinton appeared in China to give a speech on human rights it was highly controversial because the Chinese government is well known for its routine violation of human rights. Clinton began her address through illustrating the ways in women of all cultures and socioeconomic statuses were similar (Clinton, 1995). She spoke of the way in which women were coming together today to hear her address was similar to the way that women often come together whether it is at work, in a neighborhood, or even to wash their clothes in a local river (Clinton, 1995). [...]
[...] Clinton realizes the importance of including women in a global human rights regime, and dedicates a substantial portion of her speech to proving why women's rights are human rights. The point of arguing that women's rights are human rights is an attempt to reshape the ideology of human rights, and thus reshape the way reality is viewed. In the next section the success of this attempt at reshaping reality will be analyzed in detail. It is not enough simply to point out the types of rhetoric that Clinton employs in her attempt to improve the conditions of women around the world. [...]
[...] Clinton's dramatic call for action on the problems facing women around the globe was essential for redefining women's rights as human rights. She argued forcefully that it is not appropriate to locate discussions of human rights as separate from the issues that affect women. This speech is not only one of the most successful pieces of feminist rhetoric in the past two decades, it is a speech that appeals to people on the most basic of human levels. Clinton's successful employment [...]
[...] Second, I will explore the importance of regulating violations of women's rights to the realm of human rights. Critical studies teach us that word choice and language are extremely important. Specifically, I will argue the importance of defining women's rights as human rights if positive change is to occur. The multiple oppressions that Clinton is arguing for people to unite against all stem from the way women are systematically disadvantaged in society during times of war and during times of peace. [...]
[...] Clinton goes through a long list of violations of women's rights are argues that these are indeed a violation of human rights (Clinton, 1995). For example, Clinton argues, is a violation of human rights when a leading cause of death worldwide among women ages 14 to 44 is the violence they are subjected to in their own homes by their own relatives” (1995). After Clinton provides a long list of violations of women that should be considered violations of their human rights she issues the most famous line of the conference, there is one message that echoes forth from this conference, let it be that human rights are women's rights and women's rights are human rights once and for (1995). [...]
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