Editing Gender equality (section)

====Informing women of their rights====
While in many countries, the problem lies in the lack of adequate legislation, in others the principal problem is not as much the lack of a legal framework, but the fact that most women do not know their legal rights. This is especially the case as many of the laws dealing with women's rights are of recent date. This lack of knowledge enables to abusers to lead the victims (explicitly or implicitly) to believe that their abuse is within their rights. This may apply to a wide range of abuses, ranging from domestic violence to employment discrimination.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/law-crime-and-justice/criminal-justice/bc-criminal-justice-system/if-victim/publications/hsh-english-domestic-violence.pdf|title=Help is available if you or someone you know is a victim of Domestic Violence|website=2.gov.bc.ca|access-date=14 November 2017|archive-date=8 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181108030110/https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/law-crime-and-justice/criminal-justice/bc-criminal-justice-system/if-victim/publications/hsh-english-domestic-violence.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.maternityaction.org.uk/2015/01/know-your-rights-get-your-rights/|title=Know your rights – get your rights!|website=Maternityaction.org.uk|access-date=14 November 2017|date=2015-01-14|archive-date=2018-11-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181103014001/https://www.maternityaction.org.uk/2015/01/know-your-rights-get-your-rights/|url-status=live}}</ref> The United Nations Development Programme states that, in order to advance gender justice, "Women must know their rights and be able to access legal systems".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/ourwork/crisispreventionandrecovery/focus_areas/gender_equality_andwomensempowerment/eight_point_agendaforwomensempowermentandgenderequality.html|title=Eight Point Agenda for Women's Empowerment and Gender Equality|website=Undp.org|access-date=14 November 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170509195554/http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/ourwork/crisispreventionandrecovery/focus_areas/gender_equality_andwomensempowerment/eight_point_agendaforwomensempowermentandgenderequality.html|archive-date=9 May 2017}}</ref>

The 1993 UN [[Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women]] states at Art. 4 (d) [...] "States should also inform women of their rights in seeking redress through such mechanisms".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.un-documents.net/a48r104.htm|title=A/RES/48/104 – Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women – UN Documents: Gathering a body of global agreements|first=United Nations General|last=Assembly|website=Un-documents.net|access-date=14 November 2017|archive-date=4 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804222717/http://www.un-documents.net/a48r104.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Enacting protective legislation against violence has little effect, if women do not know how to use it: for example a study of Bedouin women in Israel found that 60% did not know what a [[restraining order]] was;<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/study-most-bedouin-victims-of-domestic-violence-believe-it-s-a-decree-from-god-1.427190|title=Study: Most Bedouin Victims of Domestic Violence Believe It's a 'Decree From God'|first=Jack|last=Khoury|date=30 April 2012|newspaper=Haaretz|access-date=14 November 2017|archive-date=15 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171115143740/https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/study-most-bedouin-victims-of-domestic-violence-believe-it-s-a-decree-from-god-1.427190|url-status=live}}</ref> or if they do not know what acts are illegal: a report by Amnesty International showed in Hungary, in a public opinion poll of nearly 1,200 people in 2006, a total of 62% did not know that marital rape was an illegal (it was outlawed in 1997) and therefore the crime was rarely reported.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.refworld.org/pdfid/465bfa162.pdf|title=Hungary : Cries unheard : The failure to protect women from rape and sexual violence in the home|website=Refworld.org|access-date=14 November 2017|archive-date=20 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171020153402/http://www.refworld.org/pdfid/465bfa162.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6643727.stm|title=Hungary law 'fails rape victims'|date=10 May 2007|work=[[BBC]]|access-date=14 November 2017|archive-date=26 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171026004038/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6643727.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> Ensuring women have a minimum understanding of health issues is also important: lack of access to reliable medical information and available medical procedures to which they are entitled hurts [[women's health]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.who.int/gender/women_health_report/full_report_20091104_en.pdf|title=Women and health : today's evidence tomorrow's agenda|website=Who.int|access-date=14 November 2017|archive-date=25 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181125163944/http://www.who.int/gender/women_health_report/full_report_20091104_en.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>