Examining Women’s Rights (3)

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Examining Women’s Rights

Women play a central role in the world, yet many of them do not enjoy the same rights as everyone else. Universal human rights should apply to women equally, but this is often not the case. Women and girls across the world continue to face discrimination based on their gender, a situation which needs to be addressed. Women’s rights include the right to education, to vote, to own property, to earn equal and fair wages, and to live free from violence and discrimination. Women’s’ rights are usually enshrined in important documents such as government constitutions, the United Nations declarations and other global bodies. Significant progress has been made to protect women’s rights over the years, but there is still much to be done to protect and promote women’s rights.

The fight for women’s rights began decades ago. In the nineteenth century, women enjoyed few rights. Their main role was staying at home to care for their families. Women were not educated, they were not allowed to vote and generally could not offer their opinion on important matters in society. The fights for women’s rights and equality began in the 19th century. One of the earliest examples of this is the 1848 women’s rights convention that resulted in the Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments. The meeting was held in Seneca Falls, New York, where women convened to demand their rights with regard to their social, civil and religious lives (Parker 345). This event marked the beginning of the fight for women’s rights, and inspired women for generations to come.

Over the years, women gained victory in their demand for equal rights. The 1848 convention marked the start of the fights for women’s suffrage, efforts led by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Stanton. Women won the fight in 1920 with the passing of the Nineteenth Amendment (Porter & Munn 251). However, one issue emerged in the fight for women’s suffrage. Slavery played a significant role in women’s suffrage, as black women were kept out of the fight. Educated white women pushed for their own rights, which created a divide between women along racial lines. When the fight for women’s suffrage was won, women were emboldened to fight for other rights such as employment, education, fair wages, and reproductive rights. The Equal Pay Act signed by President Kennedy in 1963 (Rubery & Grimshaw 321) abolished wage discrimination based on gender.

Aside from individual governments, The United Nations has been an important part of promoting women’s rights under various declarations and charters. The 1962 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) is the one of the most important documents in women’s rights, having been ratified by 185 countries. CEDAW protects women’s health, social and economic welfare (Cole 2). Other UN documents on women’s rights include the Beijing Platform for Action, The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, The United Nations Declaration on Violence Against Women, The Convention on the Rights of the Child and Goal 5 of the Sustainable Development goals. The United Nations is a crucial organization in promoting women’s rights as the body relies on the contribution of member states to create laws that protect women, and the cooperation of these countries as well. Its international reach ensures that women everywhere enjoy equal rights.

Several women and organizations played an important role in the fight for women’s rights in history. Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton are widely recognized as the founders of women’s suffrage efforts. The women created the National Woman Suffrage Association in1868 to push for women’s right to vote, which was eventually achieved in the early twentieth century. Other notable figures who fought for women’s rights include Alice Paul who advocated for equality under the Lucretia Moll Amendment, Maud Wood Park who fought for maternal healthcare, and Rose Schneiderman who fought for fair wages for women in low-income positions such as waitresses, hotel maids and beauty parlor workers (DuBois 215). African-American women lagged behind their white counterparts, and they needed black women advocates like Mary McLeod Bethune who fought for equality of African-American women in voting. Margaret Sanger made history in the fight for women’s rights over their own bodies, lobbying for birth control survives for women. These women changed the landscape of women’s rights in the twentieth century, and since then these rights have been greatly expanded.

Status of Women’s Rights

Although all women across the world should enjoy the same rights, there is significant disparity on the status of women’s rights across the world. Developed countries have made the most progress in protecting women’s rights. Globally, women have achieved an 82% literacy rate, with developed nations at 99.2% literacy (The World Bank). Women in developed nations have adequate access to healthcare services including reproductive health, employment opportunities and higher pay. Despite the advanced rights that women enjoy in these countries, there are still disparities between men and women. For example, the European Union reports that women earn 15% less than their male counterparts for the same job, and 33% of European women have experienced some type of violence (Fahndrich 1). These statistics show that even countries with the most advanced women’s rights still have a ways to go.

Developing countries still face major hurdles with regard to women’s rights. Women in these countries still lag in critical areas such as education, employment, healthcare, wages, and other areas of life. The World Bank compiled statistics on the literacy rates of women across the world, and the result paint a dismal picture for women in developing countries. These numbers apply to women aged 15 and above in individual countries. Examples include Benin at 31%, Chad at 14%, Mali at 26%, and Somalia at 4% (The World Bank). The sad state of affairs in education is reflected in other areas of life where women experience a lot of challenges. For instance, women in developing countries encounter a lot of violence and do not get justice due to the neglect of their rights in such countries.

One major setback to women’s rights has been ongoing violence in different countries across the world. During these breakouts of violence that have lasted years in some cases, women and girls have had their rights violated in many ways. An example of this is the sexual, emotional and physical violence that women experience during war. Rape has been widely used as a weapon of war, with women and girls being the main victims. Enemy militants attack communities and use sexual violence as way to coerce these communities to do what they want. The Democratic Republic of Congo is an ideal example of this situation. The country continues to experience civil war that started decades ago. Sexual violence is a widely acknowledged problem in this war (Aroussi 491). War also leads to other forms of violation of women’s rights. Women lose their right to education, the right to vote and the right to live free from violence. During ongoing armed conflict, women are usually the first targets as they are deemed to be physically weak and easier to attack. In addressing the issue of women’s rights, armed conflict should be of significant concern.

Syria

Syria is one of the countries with a bad track record on women’s rights. However, Syria’s situation is not unique. The country’s laws and treatment of women resemble that of many other Middle Eastern countries, which has led to widespread acceptance of the mistreatment of women. Syria can therefore be treated as a representative of women’s rights in many countries in the Middle East. Syria’s armed conflict that has been going on for years is one of the major issues affecting women’s rights. During war and armed violence, women tend to suffer a lot of violence, such as sexual violence, which is a violation of their right to live free from violence. 

The current violence in Syria started with the Arab Spring from 2011 but never came to an end due to the entry of various interested parties. Some of the major forces in the conflict include the Islamic State, the Syrian regime and multiple Syrian opposition groups. All these receive funding and support from international and regional bodies (Alsaba & Kapilashrami 6). During this long-standing conflict, there have been reports of gross human rights violations. Women and girls have been exposed to kidnappings, rape, torture, forced disappearances, enslavements executions, forced detention and other forms of violence. 

The war in Syria has also exposed women to other vulnerabilities. Due to forced evictions from their homes and flights from violence, women and girls lack access to basic services such as healthcare. Continual movements make it difficult for women to find the health resources that they need. Additionally, the rebel groups in Syria have targeted health workers and institutions as a tactic of war, destroying health infrastructure in the country (Alsaba & Kapilashrami 9). This situation makes any foreign intervention difficult as health workers cannot be guaranteed safety as they discharge their duties. The sick are left to tend to themselves and often die due to lack of medical attention. 

Another hindrance to women’s rights in countries like Syria is the patriarchal nature of society. Women are expected to be homemakers and stay silent in any abuse they might face. Economic hardship and political instability directly contribute to the violation of women’s rights. Syria has one of the highest poverty levels globally, standing at 83.5% in 2015 (Alsaba & Kapilashrami 14). High levels of poverty were concentrated in conflict-ridden areas. These extreme levels of poverty leave women and children vulnerable and force them into desperate measures to survive. This includes forced prostitution and informal labour with no protections. Women and children are commoditized, sometimes even sold during war. 

Women are often captured, kidnapped and detained during war as a way to force their communities to surrender. Human rights groups in the country report that at least 85000 people have been detained in government centres alone. The number of those detained by rebel groups remains unknown. Women in these centres experience widespread sexual violence and other forms of gendered violence. They are used as a symbol to pressure male activists related to them. Women are also exchanged for high profile captives during war. These women and girls are usually relatives to other high profile individuals in the country and are used to generate financial resources such as a ransom for their release. These women are treated as goods and a means to gain money with no consideration for their wellbeing. 

Aside from wartime violations, women’s rights in Syria and other Middle Eastern countries face other threats. One of these is honour killings, where women deemed to have brought shame to their family are killed. Some of the reasons for honour killings include sex outside marriage, improper dressing, among many others. Women are usually the victims of honour killings, which are done by their male relatives as a punishment for bringing dishonour to their family. Syrian law supports the idea of honour killings. Although the 2009 Syrian Penal Code imposed a two-year jail term on those who carry out honour killings, Decree no. 1 of 2011 protects the killer if their actions were motivated by family honour (Doğan 66). The new law allows honour killings to go unpunished, a serious violation of women’s rights and freedoms. 

Forced and underage marriages are another violation of women’s rights in Syria and other countries across the world. Some cultures still view women as infantile creatures who cannot make their own decisions. Male relatives get to decide when their female family members get married and to whom. Young girls in their pre-teen years have been married, violating their rights in many ways. Such children are robbed of their childhood, a chance to get an education and their sexual and reproductive rights. Children married below the age of 18 are a violation of international law, and it threatens their physical safety, independence and autonomy, health status, and well-being of their children (Arthur et al. 57). Although many countries have laws against forced and early marriage, the exemptions based on parental consent and religious laws still threaten the protection of children and women. 

A 2014 UNICEF report indicated that more than 700 million globally were married before the age of 18, and about a third of these before 15 (Arthur et al. 57). These numbers are quite surprising and shed some light on the status of women’s rights in many countries. One of the countries with the highest early marriage rate was Niger, where 77 percent of women got married before their 18th birthday (Arthur et al. 59). Every year, about five million underage girls are married off. Parents sign off on these marriages, and the girls are left with no choice but to comply. 

Most of the girls in early and forced marriage and married to men much older than them, creating a power imbalance in the marriage. These girls have little negotiating power and are usually forced to obey their husbands’ every wish. Some negative effects of such marriages include physical abuse of the brides who often have nowhere to report the abuse or have no one to turn to. Such girls also suffer financial abuse. They often lack money for basic needs as they may be too young to work or forbidden by their husbands. They have to be completely reliant on their husbands, who use this as an excuse to abuse and control them further. Additionally, they may not have the freedom to interact with others and have to seek permission from their husbands to visit their friends and family. Sexually transmitted infections such as HIV are a major concern for underage and forced marriages. Because the children married early often have little information on sexual health, they are more vulnerable to STDs (Arthur et al. 64). Women married as children tend to report lower use of contraceptives due to lack of information and awareness. Early marriages also force them to start having children early, leading to lower quality of life amid poverty and high birth rates. 

Women’s rights face multiple threats despite the many efforts made to protect women across the world. Governments and international bodies have passed laws and agreements to protect women’s rights, but a lot still needs to be done. One major challenge with women’s rights is that women in different regions and situations face different problems creating the need for tailor-made solutions. For example, in war-torn regions, women experience various forms of violence such as sexual exploitation, forced prostitution, rape, and sexual enslavement, among others. In such situations, human rights groups have to pay particular attention to women and their unique situation. Another threat to women’s rights is the patriarchal nature of some societies, which promotes the view that women’s rights encourage immorality and dilute societal values. Some cultures forbid women from getting educated, employed, and even other minor actions such as driving a car. Women face so many threats to their rights, a situation that needs to be addressed urgently. Protecting women’s rights will lead to a lot of progress as women form the backbone of the family, the community and the world in general. Empowering women means empowering entire communities. 

Works Cited

“Literacy rate, adult female, (% of females aged 15 and above)” The World Bank. September 2020. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.ADT.LITR.FE.ZSAlaba, Khuloud, and Anuj Kapilashrami. “Understanding women’s experience of violence and the political economy of gender in conflict: the case of Syria.” Reproductive health matters 24.47 (2016): 5-17.

Aroussi, Sahla. “Women, peace, and security and the DRC: time to rethink wartime sexual violence as gender-based violence?” Politics & Gender 13.3 (2017): 488-515.

Arthur, Megan, et al. “Child marriage laws around the world: Minimum marriage age, legal exceptions, and gender disparities.” Journal of women, politics & policy 39.1 (2018): 51-74.

Cole, Wade M. “Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women (CEDAW).” The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Gender and Sexuality Studies (2016): 1-3.

Doğan, Recep. “The dynamics of honor killings and the perpetrators’ experiences.” Homicide studies 20.1 (2016): 53-79.

DuBois, Ellen C. “9 Making Women’s History: Activist Historians of Women’s Rights, 1880—1940.” Intellectuals and Public Life. Cornell University Press, 2019. 214-235.

Fahndrich, Elyssa. “Women’s rights: is gender equality a reality in Europe?” European Union. 21 September 2020. https://europa.eu/youth/get-involved/your%20rights%20and%20inclusion/womens-rights-gender-equality-reality-europe_enParker, Alison M. “The Seneca Falls convention of 1848: A pivotal moment in nineteenth-century America.” Reviews in American History 36.3 (2008): 341-348.

Porter, Corinne, and Kathleen Munn. “Forging a Path to the 19th Amendment: Understanding Women’s Suffrage.” Social Education 83.5 (2019): 248-255.

Rubery, Jill, and Damian Grimshaw. “The 40-year pursuit of equal pay: a case of constantly moving goalposts.” Cambridge Journal of Economics 39.2 (2015): 319-343.