Awesome Student

Mrs. Motsinger

AP Language, 3rd Period

1 August 2017

Women’s Rights are Human Rights

Speakers throughout history have employed rhetorical strategies in order to entice an

audience to act on behalf of a cause or certain interest. Hillary Rodham Clinton fits perfectly into

this pattern; her speech on women’s rights strives to convince the audience to further support

women in all fields. Clinton delivered the oration in Beijing, China on September 5th, 1995 in

front of the 50,000 attendees at the U.N. 4th World Conference in Women Plenary Session. The

previous three conferences (that were held in México, Copenhagen, and Nairobi) were

additionally organized by the Commission on the Status of Women and all worked to implement

rules protecting women's education, social standing, health, and all additional manners of life.

While the successes that every conference engendered provided support and desire for female

reformation, they weren’t baseless; interest in women’s issues arose due to innovative ideas that

were shared by speakers like Clinton. As the First Lady of the United States and an avid

supporter of women’s activism, she represented her country while delivering a speech meant to

prioritize women and convince the audience to do the same through rhetorical conventions.

Clinton utilizes a plethora of ethos, logos, and pathos strategies to represent the importance of

women’s deserved rights while influencing the audience’s determination to act.

The audience respects Clinton and treats her as an accredited source because she employs

methods to enhance her character. In the beginning of her speech, Clinton thanks the audience

and notable figures: “Thank you very much, Gertrude Mongella, for your dedicated work…
 Student 2

distinguished delegates, and guests...I would like to think the Secretary General for inviting me”

(Clinton 1-3). She acknowledges the status and accomplishments of her peers while showing

gratitude towards the head of the convention, Mongella. By showing this humility, Clinton

introduces herself as a modest professional to her audience, ensuring that they will take her

words seriously and trust her character. In Thank You For Arguing, Heinrichs describes Clinton’s

tactic as decorum, the idea that “your audiences find you agreeable if you meet their

expectations” (Heinrichs 47). The audience of the Beijing Conference contained international

representatives that were used to acting with consideration and humility in the public eye. Such

behavior would also be expected of the First Lady of the United States: ensuring the audience’s

agreement through poise and gratitude. Thus, she thanks the Secretary General and compliments

the delegates, enhancing her audience’s view of her and achieving her goal of getting them on

her side. She is able to further win the audience’s support by establishing her own credit as she

describes how “over the past 25 years, [she had] worked persistently on issues relating to

women, children, and families” (Clinton 53-54). Clinton describes her credentials by listing her

experience advocating women’s rights. Providing this information builds up her ethos and

enhances her image. This technique of bragging “is the easiest way to show how great [the

speaker] is,” as it builds up their positive traits (Heinrichs 64). The audience truly trusts

Clinton’s word because she gives them all of the information to confidently do so. They are fully

able to understand her character and depend on her as a speaker for women’s rights. Thus, the

first section of Clinton’s mission to ensure that the audience’s respect succeeds as she employs

convincing decorum and bragging. This bedazzlement of her character guarantees the audience’s

interest and willingness to act as they believe they are receiving information from a credible

source.
 Student 3

In the middle of her speech, Clinton ensnares the audience with logical connections that

leave no room for doubt. She utilizes an arsenal of examples to act as support for her claim. An

important baseline of proofs assists in the capture of the audience’s attention: “I have met

women in Indonesia, who come together… discuss nutrition… I have met women in South

Africa who helped end apartheid” (Clinton 57-62). Clinton provides examples to prove that

women are fighting for deserved rights. She provides specific cases of women around the world

that are willing to act in order to stimulate the audience’s own desire to speak up for women.

This strategy of logos is known as inductive logic, or “argument by example” (Henrichs 141).

This useful strategy uses specific examples to support a more widespread cause. Here, Clinton

uses an example to give concrete, real world examples of current women fighting for rights. The

examples stimulate the audience’s minds and convince them to trust that Clinton’s ideals are

valid. Furthermore, Clinton makes her audience trust in her by ensuring that they comprehend

her logic. She emphasizes that women must be appreciated by describing how they “are the

primary caretakers for most of the world’s children and elderly” (Clinton 75). Throughout her

logic, Clinton implements a common theme of women caring for others (usually children).

Therefore, this audience of mothers and family members is more willing to act and support

women’s rights because they can identify with the examples. As used here, a commonplace is a

“common sense of [the audience]” and “represents beliefs or rules of thumb” (Heinrichs 107).

The audience will be enthralled by an idea if they can understand the proof and premise. They

can easily ponder the information and importance of women’s rights by mentally comparing the

facts and their own experiences. Thus, the audience can fully support Clinton’s advancement of

women in society as she presents them with convincing logic through examples and

commonplace.
 Student 4

Furthermore, Clinton pulls on the audience’s heartstrings through pathos to ensure that

her cause resonates with them and drives them to action. Near the end of her speech, Clinton

strengthens her audience’s empathy by listing horrific violations of women’s rights: “It is a

violation of human rights when babies are… drowned, or suffocated, or their spines broken,

simply because they are born girls” (Clinton 139-141). By simply describing the unmentionable

fates and crimes against women, Clinton changes the audience’s mood from empowered to

outraged. With their new emotions, the audience understands the importance of her cause and

joins her in her calls for action. Heinrichs describes the importance of controlling the argument’s

mood towards one that the audience will be sympathetic to, usually by giving examples or stories

(Heinrichs 81-83). Here, Clinton provides the conference's delegates with an atrocious story to

ensure that the mood changes. Even the words “choice” and “elaboration” help change the mood.

Negative words such as “violation” and “suffocated” will stick in the audience’s head and

remind them why women’s rights are necessary. They will want to escape the horrific mood and

thus be motivated to act as Clinton wishes. Additionally, Clinton ignites her audience as she

reveals that they are being belittled in society: “older, deeply-rooted problems continue to

diminish the potential [of women]” (Clinton 190-191). Clinton describes society as one that

crushes women’s potential as a successful attempt to anger her audience. This rhetorical strategy,

known as belittlement, arises by directing “the audience’s fury at someone by portraying his lack

of concern over their problems” (Heinrichs 95). The audience would rightfully trust someone

that shares their values and cares over someone that views them as miniscule or patronizes them.

Thus, the audience turns to Clinton’s side as she describes how society views their opinions and

potential as unimportant. Clinton gains her audience’s sympathy by telling a heartfelt story and

painting a picture of an apathetic society.

 Student 5

A single speech holds unmeasurable power. Speeches can completely rewrite the

opinions of a crowd and inspire great action, all while turning an uncertain idea into a

revolutionary cause. “Women’s Rights are Human Rights” does just that, as it formulates a

feminine revolution and precisely describes the integral position of women in society. Clinton

sets a standard for a future in which women are free to pursue all aspects of life without facing

oppression. She speaks calmly and emphasizes the point that everyone must fight for women to

be rightfully respected, whether they are a man, woman, or child. The speech provides women

with a voice to rally behind, one that becomes increasingly important to the feminist movement

even today. This impeccable speech deserves to reside with even the most noteworthy orations as

it defines Clinton’s political career and serves as one of the top speeches for women’s rights that

have ever been formulated. With these words, Clinton fully achieves her goal of depicting the

importance of women’s rights and pursuing worldwide reformation.

 Student 6

Bibliography

Chozick, Amy. "Hillary Clinton's Beijing Speech on Women Resonates 20 Years Later."

The New York Times. The New York Times, 05 Sept. 2015. Web. 23 July 2017.

Eidenmuller, Michael E. "Remarks to the U.N. 4th World Conference on Women Plenary

Session." American Rhetoric: Hillary Rodham Clinton -- United Nations 4th World Conference

Speech ("Women's Rights are Human Rights"). American Rhetoric, n.d. Web. 11 July 2017.

"First Lady Biography: Hillary Clinton." Hillary Clinton Biography :: National First

Ladies' Library. The National First Ladies' Library, n.d. Web. 23 July 2017.

"Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing 1995." United Nations. United Nations,

n.d. Web. 23 July 2017.

Heinrichs, Jay. Thank You for Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson Can

Teach us about the Art of Persuasion. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2017. Print.

Purcell, Mary. "Why Was the 1995 Beijing Conference for Women Groundbreaking?

Read a Firsthand Account." AAUW: Empowering Women Since 1881. AAUW, 20 Aug. 2014.

Web. 23 July 2017.

"World Conferences Introduction Page 2." United Nations. United Nations, n.d. Web. 23

July 2017.