“Where, after all, do universal human rights truly originate? In small places, close to home,” remarked Anna Fierst, invoking her great-grandmother Eleanor Roosevelt’s notable speech from 1958. In her address, Roosevelt emphasized the determination of ordinary citizens to engage actively in their communities, schools, and workplaces.
“If these rights lack significance at a local level, they almost hold no value anywhere else,” she added, underscoring the critical role of the rule of law and civil society in safeguarding human rights today.
Uneven Progress
Fierst expressed that if Eleanor Roosevelt had lived to be 140, she “would not have been surprised to witness the fluctuating advancement” of women’s rights since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted in 1948.
However, Fierst noted that Roosevelt would likely be disheartened by individuals “hiding behind technology.” The iconic First Lady and human rights champion famously distanced herself from television and telephones, believing that “when people get on TV, they stop engaging with one another.”
Eleanor Roosevelt was among several influential women recognized at an event titled “Women Who Shaped the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” organized by the UN Department of Global Communications and the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR). This event aligned with the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) taking place in New York.
The Legacy of ‘Mama Beijing’
Gertrude Mongella, known as “Mama Beijing,” served as the Secretary-General of the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995, a pivotal moment for the global gender equality agenda and its connection to the CSW.
“The decisions we made three decades ago continue to resonate in the ways countries empower women today, enabling them to shatter taboos and ascend to leadership positions that were unimaginable at the time, including roles such as defense minister,” she remarked.
“We are making progress. Though the pace may slow after a long journey, we must never cease in our efforts,” Mrs. Mongella stated, emphasizing the need to inform and transform laws and societal attitudes.
Yet, troublingly, nearly 25% of all governments globally reported instances of backlash against women’s rights as of 2024, according to the UN Women’s report “Women’s Rights in Review: 30 Years After Beijing.” This includes increased discrimination, diminished legal protections, and reduced funding for programs that support and safeguard women.
A Diplomatic Trailblazer
Among those present was Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, the first woman to serve as President of the UN General Assembly in 1953. She shattered multiple barriers, becoming India’s first female ambassador to the United Nations and the first ambassador to the Soviet Union.
Her dedication to women’s health and education made her a prominent figure; at one point, she garnered such fame that patrons at a restaurant sought her autograph while Hollywood actor James Cagney was overlooked, shared Manu Bhagavan, a professor at Hunter College and the City University of New York’s graduate center.
In 1975, Pandit faced house arrest for voicing her opposition to her cousin, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s decision to declare a state of emergency and suspend constitutional rights.
“She emerged from her house arrest with vigor, campaigning against Gandhi and challenging authoritarianism,” Bhagavan noted, highlighting her legacy as an example of the potential for change and the ongoing need for activism.
The event also featured insights from Rebecca Adami, an Associate Professor at Stockholm University, whose research on the women instrumental in founding the UDHR contributed to a recent exhibition at the UN.
Listen to her discuss the pioneering women behind the UDHR in this audio interview from 2018:
