Womens Rights in American and Afghanistan Cultures - Essay Example

Women’s rights in American and Afghanistan cultures Women’s rights in American and Afghanistan cultures Introduction Although women and human rights movements have had considerable success in championing or advocating for women rights worldwide, a lot of girls and women in general are still being trafficked or sold into sex slavery and forced labor or married while young (Beath, Christia & Enikolopov, 2013). Additionally, various cultures and societies worldwide still deny women access to political participation, and education. Also, rape is being used as a weapon of war in many nations globally. In many cultures, childbirth deaths or those arising out of pregnancy are very high while some of these cultures limit women from making personal decisions or choices that affect them. Regardless, some societies have embraced and actually encouraged gender equality and women empowerment while others repress any attempts to grant women equal rights or empowerment actions. Therefore, women rights vary from one society to another. In light of this, the paper focuses on women rights in American and Afghanistan societies or cultures. I chose to focus on the two nations simply because they represent both extremes. As such, there are stark, clear and glaring differences between these nations in the way they treat their women. Whereas the American culture grants women a lot of freedom and liberty and gender equality, the Afghanistan culture limits women rights to the bare minimum. In fact, the Afghanistan culture portrays women as property hence men own them; they are under men. The concept of women’s rights is a significant one since without them, they are unable to make decisions affecting them, vote, or get employed just as men are employed. This limitation will have a negative economic, cultural, social and political impact in countries that hinder women’s rights. For instance, employed women generate income for their families while at the same time pay taxes to the state. This improves the standards of living for that particular nation. Body Women’s rights can be basically defined as the entitlements or rights for girls and women in most cultures or nations globally. These rights are backed up by local customs, the law or people’s behaviours. However, in other societies, they are mostly suppr4essed or ignored. The major elements associated with women’s rights and empowerment include the right to ;equal/ fair pay, education, public office, to possess property, not to be raped and to have parental or marital rights. As a woman, Afghanistan is among the most difficult and challenging places to be globally. According to the United Nations, 85 percent of afghan women are illiterate, thus, they don’t have any formal education while women give birth to around six children in their lifetime. Also, 1 in every 5 children dies due to disease or other factors before they reach the age of 5. Further, women have a life expectancy of 51. These factors contribute greatly to making life difficult for afghan women. By the age of 12, a lot of afghan female children are already married. The percentage increases by 60% by the age of 16 years (Beath, Christia & Enikolopov, 2013). Most of these marriages are either arranged marriages or forced marriages. In fact, most of these girls marry men who are over the age of 60. Some of them meet these men for the first time during their wedding. Many families are forced to wed off their daughters early as a result of insecurity in the region. So, the risk of rape or kidnapping prompts or encourages afghan families to marry their daughters at a tender age. It is vital to note that Afghanistan has experienced political and military strife close to three decades now. Other girls are forced into marriage so as to repay a debt their parents owe. This practice makes them to be viewed as property. Additionally, since most afghans are poor, they marry their girls to avoid the burden of bring them up. On the other hand, American culture grants its women a considerable amount of rights unlike the afghan culture. Girl child education and empowerment is an accepted concept in America. According to a pew research, the rate of enrolment for female students has outpaced that of male students in America. Women currently occupy 72% of college admissions while men have 62% (Lopez & Gonzalez-Barrera, 2014). This implies that the American society embraces and accepts women’s rights. Additionally, most of the women rights in America are institutionalized or supported by the law. The social, economic, cultural and political factors are all interconnected. Thus, they can make the achievement of women’s rights more or less difficult. Social pressures Social pressures tend to refer to factors that affect people’s lifestyles such as family, wealth or religion. Social factors have a vital impact on the criminal justice system in these two countries. In Afghanistan, social factors tend to discourage women’s rights. Therefore, they exert pressure on the court system of Afghanistan and limit it in regard to the rights of women. However, the same cannot be said of the American culture. Cultural pressures Culture can be primarily defined as the characteristics displayed by a certain group of people or society. Culture encompasses knowledge, law, customs, morals and beliefs. Culture can be said to be ‘a people’s way of life’. Through common and wide adoption, cultural habits become compulsory and in some instances they can become law. Cultural factors such as early marriages in Afghanistan exert a lot of pressure on the nation’s criminal justice system. Also, the girl child education in Afghanistan is neglected turning it into a norm. Girls who have been married at an early age cease going to school making them to remain illiterate. The phenomenon of having a child at an early age in most instances increases their health risks (for example, women under the age of 14 have a 5 times higher chance of dying than adult or fully grown women during childbirth). The afghan culture considers early marriages a norm. In the United States, it is an offense to marry of a child or to deny them education. There are laws or acts which prohibit early marriages while making education a right. These cultural factors or laws ease the pressure on the criminal system of the US. The United States of America is a signatory of the convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women (Halberstam, 1997). Article 10 under this convention states that nations have to take stern measures to ensure women are not discriminated in regard to education. As such, the American society grants equal education rights to women. Unlike America which subscribes to this convention, Afghanistan ignores it (Ahmed-Ghosh, 2013). Economic pressures Economic pressures impact women rights and the response by the criminal justice system of any country. Economic pressure emanates from several areas. The most visible area is employment opportunities. The afghan society prohibits women from appearing in public. When this is combined with a lack of education, it leaves women with few or no economic opportunities. Women in general are confined to do housework chores. This makes them to depend on men for financial support. According to Beath, Christia & Enikolopov (2013), education is the best tool to empower and promote women’s rights. Also, since most afghan people are poor, they prefer to marry off their children to avoid the costs associated with raising them. In light of this, it is evident that economic pressures limit women rights while putting pressure on the criminal justice system of Afghanistan. According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics (2014), the number of women in the workforce has increased significantly since the 1990s. For instance the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2014) indicates that 57.2 % of women were in the workforce in 2013. On the contrary, in 2013, women had a 7.1 percent unemployment rate. Hence, it is legal for women to be employed in America. Political pressures The political element in any society influences the daily lives of that nation’s citizens. The afghan government in recent times has made political strides and subsequently prohibited some of the afghan customs. The government increased the marriage age for girls to 17 years from 16years. People who marry girls under the age of 17 would not be issued with marriage certificates by the government. Nevertheless, very few men in Afghanistan register their marriages (Ahmed-Ghosh, 2013). Additionally, the government has declared that women can get employed; but only if they are allowed by their male relatives. This action puts pressure on the nation’s criminal justice system since the act of seeking permission limits women’s rights. As a result, it is legal and not criminal for a male relative to deny or stop a woman form getting employed. The political environment supports women’s rights in America unlike in Afghanistan. American women further have the right to vote. The civil rights act of 1964 prohibited discrimination based on sex. As a result, women rights to various aspects were guarded by this legislation (Levy, 2015). As a consequence, it is illegal to discriminate a woman by denying her a job or restricting her from looking for a job, education, free speech and other extra rights. This makes it easier for the criminal justice system in America to handle issues related to women’s rights. Various theories have emerged to explain the concept of women’s rights. Some of these theories are standpoint theory, and feminist theory. Standpoint theory implies that a person’s views are determined and shaped by his/her political, cultural or social experiences (Harding, 2004). Therefore, standpoints tend to be generally multifaceted. From a feminist perspective, the theory suggests that the marginalized people (women) are in better positions to define vital natural and social problems since those at higher classes normally lose the real image of social reality (Hekman, 1997). Thus, the women are better positioned to explain their suffering and subsequently fight for their rights than men. Men do not comprehend the suffering or trouble the women are going through especially in Afghanistan (Ahmed-Ghosh, 2013). The Feminist theory attempts to comprehend gender inequality. The theory analyses and looks at the roles women play in social, economic, political and cultural contexts. Conclusion The feminist theory best explains the fight for women’s rights globally. The central themes of feminist theory include objectification, oppression, stereotyping and inequality. The mergence and fight for women’s rights globally can be attributed to the feminist theory. This theory evaluates or looks at the status of men and women in societies and consequently utilizes that data or information to make the lives of women better. Through feminist theory, women have a voice to air their opinions and point to how they have positively contributed to the society. Between American and Afghanistan perspective on women rights, I subscribe to the American view or culture. This is because the American society/ culture grants women the relevant freedoms and equality. Thus, American women are not discriminated, objectified and oppressed based on gender. References Ahmed-Ghosh, H. (2013). A history of women in Afghanistan: lessons learnt for the future or yesterdays and tomorrow: women in Afghanistan. Journal of international Womens Studies, 4(3), 1-14. Beath, A., Christia, F., & Enikolopov, R. (2013). Empowering women through development aid: Evidence from a field experiment in Afghanistan. American Political Science Review, 107(03), 540-557. Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor. (2014). Women in the Labor Force: A Databook. Halberstam, M. (1997). United States Ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Geo. Wash. J. Intl L. & Econ., 31, 49. Harding, S. G. (2004). The feminist standpoint theory reader: Intellectual and political controversies. Psychology Press. Hekman, S. (1997). Truth and method: Feminist standpoint theory revisited. Signs, 341-365. Levy, P. B. (Ed.). (2015). The Civil Rights Movement in America: From Black Nationalism to the Womens Political Council. ABC-CLIO. Lopez, M. H., & Gonzalez-Barrera, A. (2014). Women’s college enrolment gains leave men behind. Pew Research Center. Read More