Women and the Rule of Law
Lack of empowerment and advancing women’s rights is a major obstacle to strengthening the rule of law and critical to the human rights-based approach to development. Moreover, gender equality and women’s empowerment are central to achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Without these capabilities and opportunities, women are less able to reach their full potential, live a life of dignity, and be productive citizens. It is urgent we address problems that affect women, such as gender-based employment discrimination, domestic violence and property rights among many others. Read more.
WOMEN AND THE LAW
The socio-economic and political status of women in Nigeria is very low and is directly related to their enjoyment of human rights. Women constitute about 50% of Nigeria population. They are majority of the poor, they work the longest hours, they earn the lowest pay and receive the fewest benefits. Women’s poverty seriously affects their status in all spheres.
The low status accorded to women under customary and religious laws often results in de jure and de facto discrimination against women and girls. Consequently, it impacts on women’s political, social, economic and cultural rights particularly, when women’s role is consigned to the domestic sphere leaving little or no space for their political engagements.
Educating girls the key to economic development and empowering women
Under the rule of law we are all entitled to an education. Without it we cannot earn an income with dignity. However, we know that in many developing countries educating girls is not valued, and in some it is discouraged.
We have established a trust to support schools and remove the barriers to education (clothing, stationery) and improve the standards of education. As a separate project we have a sponsorship programme for girls in rural Cambodia that come from very poor families or where the girls are particulalry at risk of trafficking. In these instances girls are often removed from school to work around the farm or to go to work in brick factories or garmet factories. From there they are young, poor, alone and illiterate. A dangerous combination. Read more »
The women of Cape Verde Island
The Republic of Cape Verde is composed of 10 islands, one of which is uninhabited. In 1975, Cape Verde achieved independence from Portugal after 500 years of colonization.
For decades, Cape Verdean women (and their daughters) have suffered silently from physical and emotional abuse by their husbands, boyfriends, and even their fathers. Though there has been some progress in gender equality, non-educated women without skills suffer from physical and verbal abuse every day. Read more »
The women of Cape Verde Island
The Republic of Cape Verde is composed of 10 islands in which one is non habitant. In 1975, Cape Verde achieved independence from Portugal after 500 years of colonization.
For decades, Cape Verdean women (and their children ) have suffered silently from physical and emotional abuse by their husbands, boyfriends and even their fathers. Though there has been some progress in gender equality, non educated women without skills suffer from domesic and verbal abuse every day. Read more »
Women and the Rule of Law
I would like to welcome all the participants, in the Women and the Rule of Law as the Moderator of this session , it will be great to work together to come up with real interventions that could help women around the world to ensure equitable access to justice and ensure rule of law with no discrimination.
Saudi Women: Silent No More
Saudi Women: Silent No More
CDHR’s Analysis: After decades (centuries) of forced silence, marginalization and relegation to third class status, Saudi women are slowly but unequivocally inching toward liberation from the yoke of state-institutionalized male subjugation. The ruling Saudi theocratic and autocratic men and their personalized institutions have treated women with utter disdain since the inception of the Saudi state in 1932. Forcing women into an invisible existence (clad in black from head to toe), the chauvinistic Saudi system attributes this detestable practice to its brand of austere Islam and Saudi traditions, both of which most Saudi subjects have been conditioned into believing are superior to the rest of the world’s traditions and faiths. Read more »
Rule of Law, Women's Rights, Cultural Autonomy, and Economic Development in Morocco and Tunisia
Women rtights are threatened after the revolution in Egypt
Article disseminated recently by ECWR
While experts are working with the military council to amend the political rights law, news leaked about canceling allocating women's seats, which are known by "women's quota" and which is one of the positive type of discrimination in law. Women's quota is not the only type of positive discrimination. There is another type: the quota of workers and farmers which is 50% of the elected seats. However, there is not any news on canceling this quota, which raises the question on the validity of cancelling women's quota.
- Why does the cancellation only refer to women's quota, whereas the principle of positive discrimination continues and is not canceled? Read more »
