Women’s rights are human rights.

Human rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated. The International Alliance of Women (IAW) affirms that full and equal enjoyment of human rights - as laid down in treaties, conventions and declarations - is due to all women and girls. The IAW maintains that a prerequisite to securing these rights is the universal ratification and implementation without reservation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). IAW and its members urge governments to ratify and implement the Optional Protocol to CEDAW.

The importance and value of women’s contribution as equal partners has been acknowledged in the numerous United Nations world conferences held from 1975 through to the present time. Of particular relevance for women is the implementation of the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action, as amplified in 2000 and 2005, to which 189 member states have committed themselves. The IAW calls on its members to monitor the fulfilment of these commitments. After more than100 years the IAW faces dramatic new challenges to its goal of achieving equal rights and equal responsibilities for women. Today, as it was in the beginning of the IAW, peace is important for women, both as sufferers of non-peace and as suppliers of skills in keeping peace.

For the years 2008-2010 the IAW has defined four pillars supporting its actions: Justice - human rights, democracy, peace and elimination of violence.