Answer to Question 1
Human rights are the political rights and civil liberties recognized by the international
community as inalienable and valid for individuals in all countries by virtue of their
humanity. Human needs are those basic physical, social, and political needs, such as
food and freedom, that are required for survival and security. The Human
Development Index (HDI) is an index that uses life expectancy, literacy, average
number of years of schooling, and income to assess a country's performance in
providing for its people's welfare and security.
Answer to Question 2
A global consensus has emerged that the status of women needs to improve if human
rights and development are to progress. These conferences are signposts that
increasingly depict gender equality and empowerment across political, social, and
economic arenas as a fundamental right. They have introduced the world to the
incontrovertible evidence that women's status in society, and especially their
education, profoundly influences human development and that the treatment of
women is a global rights issue that affects everyone.