Women's rights have not always and are still sometimes not upheld in this world in which we live. Women, as citizens of this world, are entitled to all the same rights as men under the UNHR. There are, however areas in which women's rights are violated more often than men. What rights do you think these might be?
In some countries, women's rights are institutionalized or supported by law, local custom, and behaviour. In other places women's rights may be ignored or suppressed. This is often the case when local custom through inherent historical and traditional bias in regards to women's and girl's rights differs from broader notions of human rights and therefore favours men and boys.
Issues commonly associated with notions of women's rights include, though are not limited to, the right: to bodily integrity and autonomy; to vote (suffrage); to hold public office; to work; to fair wages or equal pay; to own property; to education; to serve in the military or be conscripted; to enter into legal contracts; and to have marital, parental and religious rights.
In many, many countries woman struggle just to keep themselves and their children alive. Worrying about the vote, about holding public office, about legal contracts, etc. are all beyond their ken. What are some of the issues of survival that keep women so occupied that they cannot stand up for their rights?
But it is not all bad news. There are people who are stepping forward to help women help themselves all around the world.
We are going to watch the film, "End of Poverty". We will discuss this film in class.
Homework
What would you be willing to do to help impoverished women or children around the world? Write in your journal.
If you want to read books on poverty, try:
- BC 929.2 MCC - Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
- FIC SWA - Slumdog Millionaire by Vikas Swarup
- 305.569 CAP - The War At Home: An Intimate Portrait of Canada's Poor by Pat Capponi
- 307.76 CRA - Hope in the Shadows by Brad Cran and Gillian Gerome
- 338.91 MOY - Dead Aid by Dambisa Moyo
- 339.46 NOV - The Blue Sweater by Jacqueline Novogratz
- 362.5 CAM - The Door is Open by Bart Campbell
- 361.2 LEW - Race Against Time by Stephen Lewis
- 362.5 HUR - Pay the Rent or Feed the Kids by Mel Hurtig
- 362.5 SEA - The No-nonsense Guide to World Poverty by Jeremy Seabrook
- 362.5 SIN - The Life You Can Save by Peter Singer
- 362.5 STA - Out of Poverty And Into Something More Comfortable by John Stackhouse
- 363.8 BER - Hunger: Examining Cause and Effect Relationships by Neal Bernards
- 399.46 SAC - End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for our Time by Jeffrey Sachs
- 960 CAP - The Betrayal of Africa by Gerald Caplan
- 971.1 MOR - Stoney Creek Woman by Bridget Moran
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