Hillary Clinton is the speaker on the “Women’s Rights at a United Nations 4th World Conference on Women and Plenary” delivered on the 5th September, 1995. The article can be found at American Rhetoric.com website. In researching the speaker, it is clear that her political and law background makes her the ideal candidate to speak on the rights of women. Clinton is an authority on the topic of violence against women and the rights of women. She travels widely as the Secretary of State, and visit many countries where women face abuse at the hands of men. In addition, Clinton co-founded the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, Legal Services and the Children’s Defense Fund. As a woman, Clinton can empathize with women, and what it is like to be free. She is a lawyer and enjoys many freedom rights that women in some society will never have. In light of this, she implores the society to help women to be free. Because the society continues to mistreat women, and deprive them of the basic human right to freedom and liberty, Hillary Clinton implores people to stand and help to fight for rights and liberty of women.
Clinton notes that the “United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women is truly a celebration, a celebration of the contributions women make in every aspect of life: in the home, on the job, in the community, as mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, learners, workers, citizens, and leaders” (Remarks to the United, 1995). She quickly integrates the speech on the daily lives of women into her introduction and draws the issues of women’s rights to the forefront. She notes that women come together regularly, and talk about the common issues they face in the society. Clinton makes her purpose clear as she seeks to persuade the audience to accept the issues surrounding women’s rights. In addition, she implores the members of the United Nations and advocates for women have to take a stance in support of the rights of women. History shows that women face oppression from males who based their control on the religious beliefs of their country. Clinton chooses her audience well, as the delegates at the United Nations can make the necessary changes to the constitution of their countries; and as such improve on the welfare of women in every part of the society.
The audience does not only include delegates of the United Nations, but also members of the mass media, who can spread the message to a wider audience. Absent from such a meeting is the average individual in the society or the victims affected by the oppression and violence in their society. Clinton makes specific reference to the absence of women in the non-governmental organizations that are unable to participate in the conference out of sheer prohibition. However, the message Clinton presents will definitely reach the majority of women in the society and the males who control or dominate their lives. With this message reaching the intended audience, there is no doubt that these governments will find ways to improve the treatment of women as their values and worth becomes clearer.
Clinton makes constant use of repetition to drive home the idea that women face worldwide discrimination, abuse, and oppression. In addition, she makes use of long and short sentences in an effort to reel the audience in and keep them focused on the issue surrounding women and women’s rights. In essence, Clinton’s use of facts and simple language appeals to members of every social class in the society. Her speech creates the feeling of empowerment as women can relate to the idea that there is someone with the authority to help them express their concerns. In addition, the victims feel that there is hope for them, as those in authority fight for the rights of people. Clinton points to the number of government official organizations that she visited, and will visit in an effort to help to make the dream of eliminating many of the health problems in women a reality. In addition, she intends to focus on programs that will enable women to become financially independent in the new global market.
Clinton points to facts and implied statistics to help to persuade the audience. She notes that even in the late twenty century women face the horror of rape as one of the main instruments of “armed conflict” in their society. In other words, men deprive women of the rights to choose to speak while others violate their sexual preferences. These men humiliate the women, and the silence of the women continues, as they suffer in silence. In addition, she notes that women and children make up the greater portion of refugees in the world as they run away to find freedom from the oppression in their countries. Clinton implores women to enjoy their rights to participate totally in political and social aspects of their countries in order to encourage a democratic organization and freedom for a healthy nation.
Clinton speaks with authority, clarity, and cohesion on the subject of society’s disregard for women and their rights. She points to statistics which show that women make up more than half of the population in the world; two-thirds of the uneducated mass; and more seventy percent of the underprivileged. Even the greater portion of the society is women, it is remarkable that women cannot stand up as a group and let their voices be heard above the dominant voice of the males. These statistics add to Clinton’s desire to appeals to emotions in regards to the treatment of women outside of the Western societies. Her travels, for over twenty-five years, to countries like South Africa, Ukraine Indonesia, the Indian territories, among others, gives her the authority to speak about the struggles of the women in these countries. Notes that women
In concluding, Hillary Clinton’s speech is a perfect example of a persuasive piece that appeals to the emotions and values of the advocates for women’s rights. She talks of women across the world that is deprived of the basic rights to freedom and also of the need to help women to stand up for what they believe in. She chooses the ideal audiences in the United Nations Conference as these are the individuals who can help to effect changes in the respective countries of those who can lend help to the countries that seek to free women from the modern day bondage.
Reference
"Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton." Bio. A&E Television Networks, 2014. Web. 04 July 2014.
Hillary Rodham Clinton Remarks to the U.N. 4th World Conference on Women Plenary Session
Delivered 5 September 1995, Beijing, China
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/hillaryclintonbeijingspeech.htm
