CONSIDERATIONS ON THE PROTECTION OF WOMEN’S RIGHTS IN THE LIGHT OF THE EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES PRINCIPLE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN

Development cannot be achieved if fifty percent of the population is excluded from the opportunities it brings!Gender equality and women's empowerment are human rights that lie at the heart of development and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Women's rights around the world is an important indicator to understand global well-being. A major global women's rights treaty was ratified by the majority of the world's nations a few decades ago. Yet, despite many successes in empowering women, numerous issues still exist in all areas of life, ranging from the cultural, political to the economic.Equality between women and men is also a fundamental right, a common value of the European Union and a necessary condition for achieving the objectives of economic growth, employment and social cohesion.