Abstract Women and children, two of the most invisible segments in the area of international law, have achieved conventions protecting their rights. Unfortunately, they are discriminated and mistreated in almost all countries. The United Nation has realized more special attention on women and children are badly in need and it has made a great effort to improve their current situations. However, their status has not been fundamentally advanced due to some traditional and practical reasons. This thesis first concentrated on the history to find out the development in the field of protecting women's and children's rights. Then try to explore the situations of protecting their rights based on the international human rights law, including the international treaties, customary laws and some cases. After examining the protection in international law, there are some challenges and limitations in international law in protecting women's and children's rights. International organizations and institutions also protect women's and children's rights. As a member of the CEDAW and CRC, China has the obligation to protect women's and children's rights. In China, although some legislations, policies, organizations concern the rights of women and children, there still exist some limitations and challenges in the areas of protecting women's and children's rights. The educational rights and the violence against women and children are two of the most typical issues on protecting women's and children's rights. This present thesis will focus on these two issues in international human rights law and in China. Key words: women's and children's rights, international human rights law, Chinese law, educational rights. violence against women and children, China