Violation of women rights - Essay Example

?Citing various violent conflicts across the world, examine whether and how women rights are violated. There are different connotations and dimensions that are being given to that of the violation of Human Rights and this stands out to be one of grave issues all around the world. If we take a simpler definition to it, human rights are those fundamental rights that are provided to a person or inherited by a person simply because of the fact that he or she is a human being. Human rights are something that is equal to all and has a universal appeal. It is to be understood that this particular type of rights are protected as natural rights as well as that of international rights which stands evidence to the importance of it. Different types of classifications and modifications are made in this particular area and it is predominantly classified as political and civil rights, social and cultural rights and also economical rights overall (MacKinnon, C 2006) Many international laws and conventions have been formulated so far on this area and there are several other conventions that are coming up with a more global appeal. The United Nations Charter is what forms the crux and its main aim is to protect the International Human Rights. One of the most prominent conventions of all time when it comes to human rights seems to be that of Universal Declaration of Human Rights that has got a global outlook on preserving the human rights based on different categories. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights are some of the other best covenants that play a major role in the human rights protection and looks up with a perspective of political and cultural stance. “men and women shall have the same rights to contract marriage in accordance to law”(Morsink, J 1999). The problems and issues surrounding women and the violation of human rights in women came in to the light only two decades back and till then there were not much attention was paid to the issue, except during the war period. A movement set was carried on a global to reassure the position of the women and there came the term Women’s Human Rights. It is after the wide spread protest and outcry came the recognition for women in the human rights sphere. Since, then there have been a lot talked and done about what are the rights, how it needs to be protected, and ways to make things better for women in the global scenario and a lot more. Violence on women is one of the most common scenarios and it is witnessed all over the world. Women who are considered to be the weaker sex are probably the one who has to undergo a lot of violence and problems on a global level(Joseph, S Najmabadi, A 2003). As per Bullard, A 2008, Women’s position in the global scenario has always been a step down when compared with that of the men. A lot of grounds were there for discrimination and some of them were based upon factors such as a social, economic and political basis. Women had a lesser role to play when it comes to politics and gender was considered as a crucial facet for any sort of political affiliations in the world politics. Though, there have been stark contrast on this point it should be understood that the political stance of women still seems to be less. It is a wide spread notion that women will not be able to stand up to the pressures and responsibilities of political rights and thus there is sense of weakness still prevailing in women. This is not the true case as it is now very much clear that women were able to do better job when it comes to politics and that they were able to carry on with a lot of responsibilities at one go. Political participation of women is still less because, the cloud of discrimination has not passed off yet (Reilly N 2009). As envisaged by Tomasevski, K 1993 in his book, in the economical aspects also women seem to be at a great disadvantage. Even, in the employment for work and the giving of positions that requires a great deal of responsibility women were not given a good chance to prove themselves. Thus, the position of women when it comes to economy was not a great one and women were still dependent on men for the basic amenities and needs. It is very clear that there is gender bias when it comes to work and women are not given that much chances to explore or prove them as it is given to that of men in the society. This has been a common case in almost most of the areas and there seems to be literally no exceptions to it. Even in the area of governmental positions women were not able to gain a better or even a fair hand with that of men. All these stark discriminations had given rise to many outcries all over the world. Men are still considered to the bread winner and the employers have a general notion that women tend to have more personal work and that they are at a half-set level when it come to work because of there personal commitments. These factors have caused many employers all over the world to think that it would not be ideal to make a women sit in a responsible position as she will not be able to carry on with her duties in a regular manner and that she will not be able to put in all the effort that the work needed (Claude, P Weston B 2006). Social status of women too was not impressive for a long time and there were discriminations in this sphere as well. The political and economical discriminations on women had a direct connection with that of the social status of the women as well. As women could not get a fair opportunity in the political and economic areas they were at a disadvantageous position when it came to social status. Culturally, women had to undergo the harshness of a lot of traditions and customs and these customs are in existence even now. All these aspects are some of the basics when it comes to human rights and there is no way that the problem can be solved without paying head to these fundamental areas. Thus, these are some of the most prominent or basic areas that needs immediate attention in order to rule out discrimination and to bring about the much needed positive changes in the upholding of women rights which is sure to make things better for everybody on all front. If the issue is not taken care of now, then probably there will be no change made to it for some generations to come (Agosin, M 2001) The Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations General Assembly is one of the turning points in the world Human Right scenario but what stands the issue is the fact that it was not taken to be in the sense like what it was intended to be. There was a widespread requirement for establishing human rights as there were gross mishaps and inequalities happening to the human beings all over the world. Art 2 of this particular convention which was passed in the year 1948 clearly provided that all the human rights will be applied equally without any sort of distinction or categorization. It provided that all of the human rights are enjoyable without any distinction made in terms of race, color, language or sex. While importance was given to other areas of this definition and a sort of awareness was developed on these areas, women human rights protection still turned out to be one of the most neglected areas and there has not been much of an awareness developed in these areas. Only in the recent past, there was some sort of movements taking place in the global space to reassure the position that is held by women in all the fundamental aspects of life. “The examination of women’s rights as human rights may finally serve as a litmus test for the question that human rights advocates and governments must face in the twenty-first century...” Several conventions and legislations needs to be passed in the global level so that the rights of the women at the national as well as international level is protected as well as preserved (Peters, J Wolper, A) Gender equity is still in a stage where it could not be attained that easily and in order to get it done one really need to struggle down a lot and put in a lot of effort overall. If we get deeper into the analysis, it becomes very much clear that it nearly took decades in order to set the focus on women and the issues that are surrounding it. The international level gender equity problem still exists. Now, there have been some checks and balances made and implemented with regard to the inequality met out to women in the corporate sectors and other such major sectors including that of the government office. Regulatory measures are taken over a particular organization if it is proved with evidence that there have been some sort of gender bias problem in the company or any institutions. These are some of the measures that have been taken in the recent time and there still seems to be problems and issues when it comes to women in getting promotions or getting a good salary package. Thus, the discrimination levels have crossed all boundaries and have been a sort of political, economical and social deprivation of rights for women (Byrnes, A Connors, J Bik L 1997). There have been some grave inequalities and atrocities that have been meted out to women and children and in this paper let us examine some of the crucial problems that showcased the inequalities that have been thrust up on women in a global level. There have been several instance of violence found to be bothering women in Yemen. If they do not oblige to getting married early, then torture and violence becomes the case. Yemen has been recently getting a lot of attention for the gross increase in child marriages. This is possibly one of the biggest atrocities that are being meted out to women as early marriage deprives them of a lot of aspects that otherwise a human being is rightful of getting. In view to the early marriage, there seems to be a lot of protest to this form of marriage practiced in Yemen. Such early child marriage cuts down on the entire social, economic and political attention that a woman is bound to get and enjoy on the whole. Yemen is facing a lot of uprisings to establish a concrete legislative mandates that prevents such early marriage in order to protect gender equality (Colburn, M 2002). Race and color has been a major area of discrimination and it is a criterion that got the most amount of attention from all corners. If we get a little deep more into this space, the blacks are treated with racial discrimination and are ripped off of all the rights that a human being should have in general. Then, it is now easy to imagine the plight of black women who are suffering from the severe form of discrimination from all corners. There is a sort of double to triple layer of discrimination that they have to undergo, first on the basis of color and the next on the basis of gender. In all means, women are the ones who are at a greater amount of disadvantageous position than that of men when it comes to all aspects of life (Quinn, G Degener, T Bruce A 2002). According to Askin and Koenig, 2003, Apart from all these forms of discrimination and violence that women are forced to undergo, Domestic violence against women is one of the most important problem that needs to be attended to in the root level. It is to be understood that regulation should start from a smaller level like that of regional and national level to bigger areas like that of international levels. Domestic violence is also commonly known as spousal violence or family violence wherein the women had to face emotional and sexual abuse, intimidations or threatening made to women, creating economical deprivation, mental torture, and beating or assaulting women and many such violence or harms against women in general. It is quiet horrifying to get to know the torture that women had to undergo in case of sexual abuse and there are several reports that stand evidence to the claim on a global level. One of the glaring situations with regard to women rights violation is the fact that there are different kinds of perceptions, awareness and experience from one country to that of another which makes things even more difficult on all fronts possible. Domestic violence can be sexual, verbal, physical, economical and emotional as well. Apart from the problem itself, the consequence of such problems are even graver and can lead to a lot of negative impact on the societal and psychological level. Children who grew up in such a situation too need to face the consequence of it as they grow up to be people with low self esteem and issues. There have been several theories and analysis based on domestic violence and it is very much clear and obvious that domestic violence has increased manifolds in all the parts of the world in the past few years. Though, several rules and regulations have been carried out in the national and international level there has not come a point where there is a stoppage made to all sorts of these issues in a global front and there are still greater reports on such violence and violation of human rights being carried out on women. There is no way that women can be left to be get exploited like this. The exploitation that has been done over women need to be weeded out in the initial stage itself and no room should be given for it to develop into something very substantial. There needs to be concrete policies that curtails down these sort of domestic issues and it should be implemented in the national and international level at one go. The international conventions with relations to human rights for women needs to be made more stronger and wiser that gives no room for any mishaps (Sweetman, C 1995). South Africa is one stark example in terms of discrimination and abuse that have been put up on women. There have been several instances and reports that are made based on the kind of discriminatory problems that women are facing in the nation. South Africa has the most number of recorded abuses against women which includes that of rape and domestic violence as well. A research and study that was carried out by Interpol came out with a shocking information that South African seventeen women are getting rapped every seconds and that being subjected to domestic violence four times every second. The most shocking news is the fact the healthcare industry in the nation is also for discriminations and the discrimination level is quiet high in the case of black women who are abused by the hospital staffs from all grades including that of nurse, cleaners and doctors. This can be taken as probably the highest form of cruelty that is carried out by people who are in a responsible position. There is a urge in the country to make health care area more organized and streamlined on the whole in order to avoid such scenarios (Anthonissen, C Blommaert, J 2007). Taking into account all of theses forms of violations and human right violations, different avenues and debates that opened up in the recent times and this includes an interesting question as to how many women were able to win over a noble prize. This interesting question has been a really thoughtful one that brings out the lack of reorganization for women in terms of achievements in different walks of life. There has been a considerable amount of achievements that are made by women overall but all of these have not been recognized in any way possible. There are claims that lot of political as well as social changes have been carried out but what is to be noted that all these changes without equality of opportunity for both genders will become useless. There has been gunning down of women in Yemen who involved in a peaceful protest to protect their interest. This incidence makes people lose trust on the claimed women progress in a global level (Reilly, N 2008). It is provided by Hua, J 2011, that woman needs to be aware about their rights in order to prevent themselves from getting cheated or robbed off of their rights. A recent research and study has come to prove the fact that children and women who are physically challenged or that who is disabled are facing more cause for sexual abuse as well as physical harm. This is definitely a pathetic situation which proves the plight of women to be degrading even in today’s world. Several organizations have struggled to bring this issue up to the notice of people and bring about a sense of awareness among people all over the world about this particular issue. Women with disability have known to be at even more disadvantageous situation than those in comparison to that of the normal women. Keeping in lieu a disabled condition of women, she is denied of any opportunity or rights which turn out to be a real big issue in all terms overall. Women with disability have lesser access to mobility and hence they are isolated most of the times (Carpenter, C 2006,) All the discrimination against women is not without any evidence and there have been enough researches made on this area that stand evidence to the growing problems of he disabled women in the world. Already, women are considered to be weak, so a physically weaker woman is considered to be even weaker. Data and statistics also provide and reassure the fact that women with disability are double discriminated and subjected to violence. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities under Article 6 is obligated to attend to the problems that a disabled woman tends to face on a global level. It has prepared a report and has submitted that “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life. Such physical, sexual, and psychological violence may occur (1) in the family, including marital rape and female genital mutilation, (2) in the general community, including workplace sexual harassment and intimidation and trafficking, and (3) in ways that are condoned by governments.” In order to prevent such situation from happening preventive as well as protective measures needs to be taken. For the damage already done proper protection mechanism needs to be followed and in order to stall any future problems the preventive measures needs to be followed on a global level (Edwards, A 2011). In order to conclude, these human violations against women need to be noted and removed in the budding stage itself. There should never be a point where women can be let go off with the kind of violence and injustice that has been meted out to her on a global level. For the welfare of the women in the present generation and also for generations to come, women’s position has to be reassured and strengthened so that the future of women in this world is even more peaceful and welcoming. There should be strict laws and regulations that need to be passed out in order to protect the interest of girl child and women. By way of strong legislations and conventions, the national and international space should be providing the best sort of protection to women who have been undergoing a lot of political, social as well as economical discrimination. Having said that, the issues like double discrimination and violence that is carried out on black women and disabled women should be rooted out completely and this is one issue that stands as the need of the hour. Thus, from the above facts mentioned about the violation of women rights, it is very clear that women do not enjoy equal opportunity or that of equal livelihood and still there is stark discrimination of women based on the gender. Women are subjected to a lot of violence and torture all over and in some parts the intensity seems to be more. If strong regulations are passed on a global level and stricter form of international covenants are brought forward then, the problem can be sized down to a considerable extent. 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