About the United Nations (UN)
Australia is part of the
The UN is an organisation where countries come together to:
- talk about world issues
- fix world issues.
Almost every country in the world is a member of the UN.
Members must follow the UN’s rules.
You can watch a video on YouTube about the history of the UN.
You can visit the YouTube website to find out more.
UN conventions
Australia signed 2 agreements with the United Nations (UN).
The agreements are called
UN conventions are agreements between the countries that are members of the UN.
They explain:
- the rights people have
- what each country must do for the people who live there.
The agreement about disability rights
In 2007, Australia signed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
We call it the CRPD.
The CRPD is about making the lives of people with disability better.
It protects people with disability from
Discrimination is when people or services treat you unfairly because of a part of who you are.
When countries sign the CRPD, they agree to support people with disability to take part in the community.
For example:
- work
- education
- receiving healthcare.
The CRPD says information should always be easy for everyone to:
- find
- use.
This includes sharing information:
- in Braille
- in AUSLAN
- on websites that are easy to use.
You can find out more about the CRPD on the United Nations website.
You can also watch a video on YouTube about the CRPD.
You can visit the YouTube website to find out more.
The agreement about women’s rights
In 1983, Australia signed the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
We call it the CEDAW.
The CEDAW says women should have the same rights as men in all parts of life.
It is about all women and girls.
This includes women and girls with disability.
For example, the CEDAW says women and girls can make their own choices about pregnancy.
And they should have the right information and healthcare to help them make those choices.
Women can have children if they want to.
But they can also choose to:
- end a pregnancy
-
use
Birth control can stop you from getting pregnant.
You can watch a video on YouTube about the CEDAW.
You can visit the YouTube website to find out more.
How UN conventions can help us
UN conventions do not fix problems straight away.
Many women and people with disability in Australia still experience discrimination.
But every country that signs a UN convention must tell the UN how these problems are going.
They must do this every 4 years.
This can help Australia get better over time.
The UN conventions can also help us know:
- how people should treat us
- how to share issues with organisations that can help.
They also support groups to speak up for the rights of women and girls with disability.
This includes us – Women With Disabilities Australia.
We have more information on this website about your rights.
You can find out more on our page about your rights.
