Taina Bien-Aimé is the Executive Director of Equality Now, an international human rights organization that works for the protection of the rights of women and girls. Ms. Bien-Aimé holds a Juris Doctor from NYU School of Law and a Licence in Political Science from the University of Geneva and the Graduate School of International Studies, Switzerland. Prior to her appointment as Executive Director in 2001, Ms. Bien-Aimé served as the General Counsel of Equality Now, and has been a board member of the organization since 1993. Ms. Bien-Aimé was Director of Business Affairs/Film Acquisition at Home Box Office from 1996 to 1999. She also practiced international corporate law at a Wall Street law firm, Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton from 1992 to 1996.

Presentation: International Women's Rights as a Matter of Law

The fundamental right to equality has been affirmed and reaffirmed by governments within the United Nations system in international treaties, declarations, and conferences, as well as in national constitutions in most countries around the world. Nevertheless, de jure and de facto discrimination against women continues in virtually every corner of the globe. The United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995 issued a Declaration reaffirming governments' commitment to "the equal rights and inherent dignity of women and men." And yet over a decade after the Beijing Declaration and 55 years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, violence and discrimination against women and girls affects every aspect of their lives. The paper will take a look at how individuals and civil society around the world are taking affirmative steps toward ensuring that governments uphold their commitments to securing dignity, justice and equality for women.