Rhetorical Analysis: Women's Rights Are Human Rights By Hilary Clinton

Hilary Clinton emphasizes the quote that “women’s rights are human rights” during the U.N. 4th world Conference that was held on September 5, 1995 in Beijing, China. She makes several points that contribute to her argument that women’s voices should be heard, that “if women are healthy and educated, their families will flourish”, that what women go through is inhumane and should not be tolerated. To these points across she uses pathos, ethos, and logos, as well as efficient use of diction, repetition, and tone.
We can say that the most dominant form rhetorical device that she uses is pathos. This speech is overflowing with pathetic appeals. She tugs on the audience’s heartstrings by bringing up heart breaking topics. She brings up the sad

truth by stating, “We are the primary caretakers for most of the world’s children and elderly. Yet much of the work we do is not valued -- not by economists, not by historians, not by popular culture, not by government leaders.” This makes the audience feel sympathy and also pity for what women go through in their daily lives, yet they are not appreciated for it. Another way she used a pathetic appeal is when she says, “Women also are dying from diseases that should have been prevented or treated. They are watching their children succumb to malnutrition caused by poverty and economic deprivation. They are being denied the right to go to school by their own fathers and brothers. They are being forced into prostitution, and they are being barred from the bank lending offices and banned from the ballot box.” Right here she explains more ways women have been suppressed and denied their rights as human beings. Another way that Clinton has used pathos is when she explains that these women that are going through all of these unfortunate events are none other than the women in our own lives.
Clinton also uses ethos in this speech to giver her credibility for her statements. She explains many of her experiences in foreign countries and what the women of those countries were going through. She says, “Over the past 25 years, I have worked persistently on issues relating to women, children, and families. Over the past two and a half years, I've had the opportunity to learn more about the challenges facing women in my own country and around the world.” Saying this gives backing for all her statements, this also makes the audience believe her more. Another thing that gives her credibility is the fact that she is the first lady, and a woman herself. This also makes it more accurate and accepting to hear this speech from a woman more than a man.
Clinton also uses a logical appeal to get the audience thinking. “We need to understand there is no one formula for how women should lead our lives. That is why we must respect the choices that each woman makes for herself and her family. Every woman deserves the chance to realize her own God-given potential. But we must recognize that women will never gain full dignity until their human rights are respected and protected.” Bringing up the rules that we should live by and the things we need to recognize make us, as the audience, second think ourselves. This use of logos also makes for a condemnatory tone.
She also uses repetition to emphasize how “women’s rights are human rights”.

She lists a series of abuse done to women that all start with “It is a violation of human rights when…” For example, she says, “It is a violation of human rights when women and girls are sold into the slavery of prostitution for human greed -- and the kinds of reasons that are used to justify this practice should no longer be tolerated.” These series of eight statements also gives a pathetic appeal because these types of tragedies cause the listener to have pity and compassion for the victim(s).
Hilary Clinton impacts he audience with various ways that she explains all the abuse and torment women go through. Her diction consists of words that are horrifying and unpleasant. Such as, “violence”, “fire”, “death”, “burned”, “suffocated”, “drowned”, “greed”, “prostitution”, “rape”, etc. This use of diction creates a disgusted and harsh tone.
All in all, Hilary Clinton really makes it clear that women’s rights are also human rights as well, that we can no longer abuse our mothers, sisters, and daughters anymore, that what women go through nowadays is inhumane and needs to come to an end; only then, can we live in peace. She makes these points using the three main rhetorical devices, ethos, pathos, and logos, as well as her clever use of diction, repetition and

tone.