Gender Stereotyping as a Human Rights Violation
Abstract
The OHCHR Women’s Rights and Gender Section decided to pursue this research to
enable it to consider potential opportunities and challenges for future programming
and coordination on gender stereotypes and gender stereotyping. Its decision was
informed by a number of factors, including the: growing consensus that gender
stereotyping poses a significant, yet largely unaddressed, challenge to the
recognition, exercise and enjoyment of women’s human rights; limited
understanding of stereotyping as a human rights issue; and limited awareness of the
content and meaning of states’ obligations to address gender stereotyping.