The United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women provided animportant occasion for the international community to assess and todevelop its political commitment to the protection of the humanrights of women. The author discusses the Beijing Declaration andPlatform for Action that resulted from the conference and considerswhether international machineries for the enforcement of rights willbe adequate to deal with rights that traditionally have beenmarginalized. Recognizing the past and current limitations ofinternational mechanisms, the author argues that working withinmainstream institutions as well as developing independent specialprocedures are necessary measures to ensure that the internationalsystem reflects the needs of women.