While laws exist in many nations to guarantee equal rights across gender, race, and ethnicity, they are often not implemented. Around the world, discrimination, biases, and avoidable barriers affect children's chances to access education and health care, and adults' chances to attain jobs, earn equal pay, and hold leadership roles in countries. Moreover, in some countries, it is legal to markedly discriminate based on characteristics ranging from religion to sexual orientation to disability. Making Equal Rights Real brings together leaders from around the world who have been working effectively to increase equal economic and social rights, ranging from rights in the workplace to property ownership and education. The contributors tell the detailed stories of effective approaches to implementing equal rights for racial and ethnic minorities in North America, women in Africa, children in the Middle East, and sexual minorities in Asia. They also describe approaches taken around the world to increase equal rights for people living in poverty, for those living with disabilities, and for all people seeking the information they need to hold their government accountable for implementing everyone's rights. The book addresses what can be done by policymakers, civil society, non-governmental organizations, lawyers seeking to implement equal rights legislation, and advocates working in the community, as well as those developing constitutions and negotiating international agreements.
