Women’s rights are the fundamental human rights that were enshrined by the United Nations for every human being on the planet nearly 70 years ago. These rights include the right to live free from violence, slavery, and discrimination; to be educated; to own property; to vote; and to earn a fair and equal wage. Gender equality is achieved when women and men enjoy the same rights and opportunities across all sectors of society, including economic participation and decision-making, and when the different behaviours, aspirations and needs of women and men are equally valued and favoured.

Bertha Sophia Felicita von Suttner was a 19th century author and peace activist from Austria. Her most famous work, the anti-war novel titled ‘Die Waffen Nieder’ (Lay Down Your Arms), became an international bestseller and was published in all the major world languages of the time. Upon the success of her novel, Bertha von Suttner quickly rose to prominence within the international peace movement that was gaining ground in Europe and in the United States of America. She founded the Austrian Peace Society, contributed to the establishment of many other pacifist organizations throughout Europe and founded a peace journal, Die Waffen Nieder, which was later succeeded by the journal Die Friedens-Warte.