Throughout ancient history, women were seen as inferior to men (SOURCE). However, through the creation and recognition of human rights, women were considered equal to their male colleagues and discrimination based on gender was seen as a violation (SOURCE). The creation of these rights was a huge milestone for gender equality as it removed the social stigma that a woman was less valuable than a man. Education was an area that was positively influenced by the human rights movement. According to article 26 of the International Bill of Rights, every individual has the right to education and access to higher education is based on individual merit (SOURCE). The increase in participation is demonstrated by differences in participation rates since 1911, with one in five women attending higher education compared to one in two in 2011 (Booth and Kee 2009; Australian Bureau of Statistics 2013. The increase of participation rates may be as a result of contributing factors such as increased opportunities to obtain higher education However, since human rights were not officially declared in 1911, it can be said that the introduction of human rights had an impact. positive for women in accessing higher education of human rights that Australian women have encountered, is crucial to discuss as it has enabled women to experience justice on the ground