Discrimination for Women - Example

Name : xxxxxxxxxxx Institution : xxxxxxxxxxx Course : xxxxxxxxxxx Title : Discrimination against women Tutor : xxxxxxxxxxx @2010 Discrimination against women Definition of topic According to (Human Rights, 2007) discrimination is the harassment of a person or a group of people because they belong to a certain “protected class”. A protected class may be recipients of unfair treatment due to prejudice against them. The following are examples of protected classes; national origin, disability status, gender, color, sexual orientation, religion, ancestry, marital status, familial status, age, race. However, difference in opinions, reactions to deplorable performance and general treatment not based on the aforementioned protection classes are not discrimination. Issue and area to be studied This essay will dwell on discrimination against women in Africa. Efosa (2008) provided information that the discrimination against women in Africa is a prevalent occurrence. According to Efosa (2008) the cause emanates from the misconstrued attitude that males are superior to females. This attitude is acquired by male children while they grow up. For instance a woman who only bears female children is viewed as an outcast by the husband and the society at large. Also female children in a typical family realize at an early age that the male children are preferred to them. Most African cultures do this since their daughters will be married off later in life and leave their family thus they are better off ensuring that their male children are treated well. For instance the male children will be put through school to the highest possible level than their female counterparts. In some of the African cultures women are married off early, are subjected to genital mutilation and are ultimately discriminated against during employment. According to (WIN News, 2001) in South Africa labour markets are discriminate against women. It is noted that there is segmentation in that black South African women have jobs concentrated in the low-paid and vulnerable jobs for example domestic work, informal sector work and casual agricultural labor, rural women do not have time to enjoy livelihood opportunities, most households have women as family heads, most women do not have access to family resources such as land, income, prevalent violence cases has had women vulnerable and living in fear and thus limited their role in social and economic activities. According to (Global Exchange, 2008) in Kenya women are regarded as second class citizens and their discrimination is prevalent. Kenya being a patriarchal society; women have little influence in their households and the society at large. It is noted that women do not have equal access to resources and by custom they do not own property which implies economic hardships on them. It also noted that women do not inherit property from their parents. In light of this, there are rampant cases of widows taking their in-laws to court to obtain property taken from them. It is also noted that forced marriages is a common occurrence in most Kenyan cultures. With forced marriages comes the risk of diseases such as AIDs. There are also situations where women are inherited by their dead husband’s brother or close relative. The inheritance is done without consulting the woman in question. On completion of the inheritance ceremony the woman is required to accord her new husband conjugal rights. Violence rates have soared in Kenya since some men think that having sex with a virgin will cleanse them from AIDs. This notion has led to young girls being raped. Significance of the study According to Africa Renewal (2007) violence and discrimination a perpetual global problem. Violence may result in trauma, injury, transmission of HIV, transmission of STDs, economic vulnerability, fatality and wholesome dependence of women on men. Discrimination may result in under utilized resources, slow economic development since there might be limited expertise in the market and general low self esteem for the women. According to African Renewal (2007) the problem affects both men and women and thus the community at large. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that violence affects a great number of women in Africa. The 2005 study on women’s health and domestic violence reported that fifty percent of Tanzanian women and 71 percent of women in Ethiopia’s rural areas reported a lot of beatings from their spouses. Amnesty International reports that in the republic of South Africa, at least one woman is killed every six hours either by a husband or intimate partner. In Zimbabwe it is reported that six of every ten murder cases in 1998 was in relation to domestic violence. In Kenya in 2003 the attorney general reported that 47 percent of homicides were attributed to domestic violence. It is noted by World Health Organization (WHO) that around 130 million girls had undergone female genital mutilation globally and a further over two million females are at risk. The procedure can lead to urinary incontinence, infections, childbirth problems, bleeding and even the demise of the victim. It is noted by Zaria in Nigeria that sixteen percent of people suffering from Sexual Transmitted Diseases (STDs) are children the age of five. This is a clear sign of sexual violence. The Genito – Urinary Centre in Harare Zimbabwe treated around nine hundred girls under the age of twelve for STDs in 1990. These statistics led to a deduction that young girls are therefore susceptible to HIV/AIDs. Since in most African countries women are not allowed to inherit or own property they are left economically vulnerable and wholly dependent on their husbands. According to Nyerere in 1984, women are supposed to be allowed to own property so as to ensure their economic stardom and ensure they do not get mistreated on the virtue of their dependence on men. It will also ensure that their interests are taken care of since they are ensured of not toiling on for something they have no control over. Barriers to problem resolution. The resolution of discrimination against women has a number of barriers among which include: culture, financial dependence by women on men, bureaucratic procedures in passing laws against sexual violence. According to African Renewal (2007) discrimination against women is thought to be rooted in the African culture. This is concept is supported by the 1999 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health study which reported that domestic violence is so prevalent that many women considered it as a way of life. This report is further supported by a study done by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) in 2000 which noted that women in Africa and Asia condone such behavior. This state of mind has resulted in women being undervalued and susceptible to male violence United Nations Development Funds for Women (UNIFEM). Women in Egypt believe beatings are warranted when a woman refuses to have relations with her husband. According to World Health Organization (WHO), fifty percent of women and forty three percent of men in Ghana believe that a man was warranted in beating his wife if she made use of family planning methods without his permission. In Africa women are viewed as property this resulted in practices such as inheritance and dowry payments. The 2003 study conducted by the Human Rights Watch in Uganda showed that the people justified wife inheritance by the notion that everyone contributed to the bride price and as such the bride belonged to the family. It was also common practice for the bride’s family to force the woman back to her matrimonial home incase of any conflict since they were not willing to return dowry. Financial dependence by women on men has left them being routinely battered and verbally abused while they stay. They stay due to the fact that they do not have another source of finance. This form of insubordination has left women susceptible to other risks such as Sexual Transmitted Diseases (STDs) as they cannot demand for safer sex. "Best practice" trends In the bid to reduce and ultimately stop the discrimination against women practices such as the formation of laws have been put in place and awareness for women rights made and the enforcement of such laws have also been put in place. According to African Renewal (2007) a 1996 rape case in Senegal resulted in public protests, campaigns and theatre performances to publicize the case. This resulted in the failure of the influential perpetrator to prevent the victim from pressing charges. This led to justice. There has also been the use of international treaties such as the 1979 United Nations Convention on Elimination of All Forms of discrimination against Women. The convention sets out to make governments pass laws that advocates owning of property by women, friendly inheritance rules for women, the remittance of early marriages and the elimination of the second class status for women. The convention was enforced and thus led to the establishment of Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). The committee advocated for women rights and the elimination of inhumane customs such as inheritance and forced early marriages. However, out of one hundred and seventy nine countries only eighty nine countries have adopted all the rules of the committee. In Kenya the sexual offence bill was only passed after the removal of certain parts such as the outlawing of marital rape. In Uganda such laws have taken a very long time almost a decade before being passed. The laws have also taken a very long time in Tanzania and Zimbabwe before being passed. Law enforcement has also been a trend towards the eradication of prejudice against women. According to African Renewal (2007) in Rwanda; there has been the establishment of gender desks in which there are trained personnel to take care of other women who have been abused. The personnel at the help desk investigate the crimes and ensure that the necessary evidence is availed in time for court proceedings. The use of help desks resulted in the Rwandan police making eight hundred and three convictions out of the reported one thousand seven hundred and seventy seven cases. In 1996 after the Burkina Faso authorities introducing a law against female genital mutilation they launched public campaigns regarding the same and further incorporated it in the school curriculums. They also opened a telephone desk for girls at risk. As a result between 1996 and 2005 there were around four hundred convictions. In Uganda theatrics is made use of to advocate for laws in support of the elimination of domestic violence. This activity is spearheaded by the Center for Domestic Violence Prevention which works with seventy three community volunteers. The volunteers include both men and women. In Tanzania, the NGO Kivulini makes use of open air meetings, singing, local drama, dancing and drumming to engage people in the sensitive discussion topics. The topics include domestic violence, reproductive health and HIV/AIDs. Conflict, similarities, differences, implications and conclusions The papers are in agreement that discrimination against women is a conflict, is a perpetual problem and should be addressed. It has been reported by African Renewal (2007) that discrimination against women is a global problem. It has therefore seen the sprouting of numerous NGOs which have been started for the sole purpose of fighting it. The setback has also resulted into the development and enforcement of women protection policies. Some papers are in the opinion that discrimination is the cause of violence against women while most papers are of the opinion that violence is just one form of discrimination. According to Open Feminism School (2006) discrimination is a cause of violence against women. It holds the opinion that discrimination portrays women as a second class people and these results in their abuse. It further agues that discrimination results in women championed projects take a little bit longer than necessary to be put into practice. The laxity in the implementation of women championed projects has further resulted in slow nature of the address of their grievances especially on abuse. Open Feminism School (2006) also suggests that discrimination has led to impunity. This is due to the regard of women as second class citizens. The papers are of the opinion that in most African countries culture is the major root of discrimination against women. The papers argue that African culture viewed women as property and therefore could be inherited. The African culture which does not allow women to own property has further perpetuated discrimination as women do not have financial stardom that would allow them to leave. This has resulted in women persevering battery. The papers have also dealt with forced marriage as one of the forms of discrimination that takes place in Africa. The forced marriages have resulted in male and female children not having the same level of education. This has been due to the parents feeling that it is not vital to educate the girl child since she’ll eventually leave the family. Female genital mutilation has also been seen as a recurring issue in all the papers. Rape has also been seen as a form of discrimination in all the papers. It has also been highlighted that young girls are the victims of rape and therefore susceptible to Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs). The papers also highlight violence as the most prevalent form of discrimination against women. They further attribute it cultural influences and the society at large. It is stated that some African communities have come to terms with violence against women and even go further to justify it. Several communities allow for it when a woman does not satisfy her husband’s conjugal rights. The literature comes in agreement that discrimination should be stopped and remedies enforced. They further state that the problem has been handled differently in different countries. Some countries view the problem as urgent while some do not. The adoption of policies is seen to transcend most countries while differences are manifested in that the adopted policies are not uniform. For instance in Uganda; Center for Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) reported the absence of laws for fighting violence against women. Since there are no directly stipulated laws on violence against women the government solely relies on laws against homicide and those which cover assault. The committee strongly vouched for the enacted of bills that have taken around ten years to be enforced. The bills are the Sexual Offence bill and the Domestic Relations Bill. In 1998, CEDAW discovered that the Nigerian government did not deal with discrimination and violence against women because occurring cases were not reported. It was further discovered that the cases failed to be reported because women feared being reprimanded by their husbands and the family at large. Amnesty International also noted that there were very few prosecutions regarding discrimination and violence. In Morocco as of 1997 there were no clear cut laws on discrimination against women. However, after vigilant efforts by numerous NGOs amendments were made in the policies. For instance the marriage age for young girls rose from fifteen to eighteen. The legal obligation that required women to obey their husbands was scrapped off. Women were also allowed to choose their husbands and file for divorce if need be. It has therefore been seen that discrimination against women is an ingrained problem in the world and especially in African countries. It should be stopped since it hampers overall African development. It is therefore noted that it should eliminated right from childhood. This will ensure that the mindsets of both women and children will be free from prejudices. Violence against women should also be stopped as conflict can be resolved in a more humane way. Rape should not be condoned as it is a vehicle to STDs and trauma for the victim. Female genital mutilation should not be condoned as with it comes child birth problems, infections and bleeding. All in all, barbaric African cultures should be abandoned. It is clear that women are not second class citizens. Bibliography Human Rights, 2007, What is discrimination? Retrieved March 20, 2010 from Efosa R.., 2008, Violence and Discrimination against Women in Africa, Retrieved March 20 2010 from Women’s International Network, 2001, South Africa: Discrimination against Women Persists – University of Sussex, Institute of Development Studies report. Prentice Hall, New Jersey. Global Exchange, 2008, Discrimination against women in Kenya, Retrieved March, 2010 from Africa Renewal, 2007, Taking on Violence against Women in Africa, Retrieved March 20, 2010 NGM-net Africa, 2006, Treaty Bodies, Retrieved March 20, 2010 from Open Feminism School, 2006, Violence against Women in Africa: from discrimination to Impunity. Retrieved March 20, 2010 from Mulama, M., 2008, Development – Africa Time for Action on Violence Against, Retrieved Mach 20, 2010 from Awake, 1998, Discrimination against females, Retrieved Mach 20, 2010 from Shah, A., 2010, Women Rights, Retrieved Mach 20, 2010 from Global Issues, 2008, Background on Discrimination against Women. Retrieved Mach 20, 2010 from Media Global, 2010, UN Secretary General Launches Unite at Africa Summit. Retrieved Mach 20, 2010 from CEDWA, 2010, Committee on elimination of discrimination against women holds informal meeting with non-governmental organizations, Retrieved Mach 20, 2010 from Read More