Iranian authorities have intensified their repression of women’s rights activists in the country in the first half of this year, carrying out a series of harsh interrogations and increasingly likening any collective initiative relating to women’s rights to criminal activity, Amnesty International said today.
The organization’s research reveals that since January 2016 more than a dozen women’s rights activists in Tehran have been summoned for long, intensive interrogations by the Revolutionary Guards, and threatened with imprisonment on national security-related charges.
Many had been involved in a campaign launched in October 2015, which advocated for increased representation of women in Iran’s February 2016 parliamentary election.
“It is utterly shameful that the Iranian authorities are treating peaceful activists who seek women’s equal participation in decision-making bodies as enemies of the state. Speaking up for women’s equality is not a crime. We are calling for an immediate end to this heightened harassment and intimidation, which is yet another blow for women’s rights in Iran,” said Magdalena Mughrabi, Interim Deputy Middle East and North Africa Programme Director at Amnesty International.
“Rather than addressing Iran’s disturbing record on women’s rights the Iranian authorities have once again opted for repression, accusing women’s rights activists of collusion in western-orchestrated plots in a bid to maintain their discriminatory practices towards women.”
With negative public sentiment toward lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) reaching an all-time high, the anti-LGBT movement in the country is seeking to criminalize same-sex relationships.
A group of academics and activists have requested that the Constitutional Court annul a number of articles in the Criminal Code (KUHP) to make it illegal for homosexuals to engage in sexual activities.
The court, which has affirmed that the plaintiffs have constitutional grounds to present their case, has held five hearings in which expert witnesses, presented by the petitioners, told the court that homosexuality was “contagious” and that it “could trigger a spike in HIV infections”.
One of the plaintiffs, Rita Hendrawaty, who is also chairwoman of an organization called the Family Love Alliance, claimed she did not intend to put LGBT people in prison.
“The government asked us [why we are trying to criminalize LGBT people], saying that if we do so, then prisons will be full. But we are merely trying to take preventive measures, so that Indonesia has clearer norms and regulations stipulating that anyone having casual sex is committing adultery,” she told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
…The various attempts to criminalize homosexuality have alarmed advocates of LGBT rights.
“This is dangerous for our LGBT friends. No one should be allowed to criminalize a minority group in Indonesia. Furthermore, the government shouldn’t be that nosy, trying to manage people’s lives in bed,” Arus Pelangi secretary Ryan Korbarri told the Post.
Ryan said the allegation that the LGBT community was trying to spread homosexuality was baseless, as the community in Indonesia was only trying to fight to have the same rights as other Indonesian citizens.
Women in Saudi Arabia have made some progress in participating in sports for health, competition, and professional opportunities but serious barriers remain.
On the eve of the Rio Olympics, the Saudi government, including the new women’s section of the Saudi sports authority, should remove the remaining barriers to sports in schools, businesses, federations, and team sports.
Four women will represent the country in Rio, a slight improvement from the two who competed in the 2012 London Summer Olympics. But inside Saudi Arabia, widespread discrimination still hampers access to sports for Saudi women and girls, including in public education. This exists against a backdrop of pervasive discrimination that constrains women’s day-to-day lives in Saudi Arabia. Women are not allowed to travel abroad, marry, or be released from prison without a male guardian’s permission, and may be required to provide guardian consent to work or get health care. They are not allowed to drive.
“Saudi women are making tremendous strides in the world of sports – climbing the tallest mountains and swimming the lengths of rivers,” said Minky Worden, director of global initiatives. “They are showing their determination, talent, effort, and heart despite daunting legal, cultural, and religious hurdles. As the Rio Olympics open, Saudi Arabia needs to change the game by addressing the profound discrimination that holds back women’s and girls’ participation in sport in the kingdom.”
Saudi Arabia’s male guardianship system remains the most significant impediment to women’s rights in the country despite limited reforms over the last decade, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.
Adult women must obtain permission from a male guardian to travel abroad, marry, or be released from prison, and may be required to provide guardian consent to work or get health care. These restrictions last from birth until death, as women are, in the view of the Saudi state, permanent legal minors.The 79-page report, “Boxed In: Women and Saudi Arabia’s Male Guardianship System,” examines in detail the panoply of formal and informal barriers women in Saudi Arabia face when attempting to make decisions or take action without the presence or consent of a male relative. As one 25-year-old Saudi woman told Human Rights Watch, “We all have to live in the borders of the boxes our dads or husbands draw for us.” In some cases, men use the permission requirements to extort large sums of money from female dependents.
Saudi Arabia’s male guardianship system remains the most significant impediment to women’s rights in the country despite limited reforms over the last decade.
“The fact that Saudi women are still forced to get a male guardian’s permission to travel, work, or do anything else is a long-standing rights violation and a barrier to the government’s plans to improve the economy,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director. “The government should do itself a favor and finally listen to the demands of half its population to be freed from the shackles of the guardianship system.”
Human Rights Watch interviewed 61 Saudi women and men for the report and analyzed Saudi laws, policies, and official documents. Every Saudi woman must have a male guardian, normally a father or husband, but in some cases a brother or even a son, who has the power to make a range of critical decisions on her behalf.
“My son is my guardian, believe it or not, and this is really humiliating… My own son, the one I delivered, the one I raised, he is my guardian,” a 62-year old Saudi woman told Human Rights Watch. A woman’s other male relatives also have authority over her, although to a lesser extent.
Women’s rights activists in Saudi Arabia have repeatedly called on the government to abolish the male guardianship system. In 2009, and again in 2013, Saudi Arabia agreed after its universal periodic review at the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Since making these promises, Saudi Arabia has taken steps to lessen guardians’ control over women, including no longer requiring permission for women to work and passing a law criminalizing domestic abuse. In 2013, then-King Abdullah appointed 30 women to the Shura Council, his highest advisory body, and, in 2015, women voted and ran as candidates in municipal council elections for the first time.
Saudi Arabia’s male guardianship system remains the most significant impediment to women’s rights in the country despite limited reforms over the last decade.
Despite these limited steps, the male guardianship system remains largely in place, hindering and in some cases nullifying the reforms, Human Rights Watch found.
Women may not apply for a passport without male guardian approval and require permission to travel outside the country. They regularly face difficulty conducting a range of transactions without a male relative, from renting an apartment to filing legal claims. The government does not require guardian permission for women to work, but does not penalize employers who do require this permission. Women cannot study abroad on a government scholarship without guardian approval, and a male relative must accompany her abroad while she studies, though this requirement is not always enforced. Women are barred from driving.
Women face tremendous obstacles when trying to seek help or flee abuse by violent guardians, Human Rights Watch found. For example, a husband retains guardianship control even during divorce proceedings. There is deeply entrenched discrimination within the legal system, and courts recognize legal claims brought by guardians against female dependents to enforce their authority.
Women who have escaped abuse in shelters may, and in prisons do, require a male relative to agree to their release. “The [authorities] keep a woman in jail… until her legal guardian comes and gets her, even if he is the one who put her in jail,” said a women’s rights activist. If a guardian refuses to release a woman from prison, authorities may transfer her to a state shelter or arrange a marriage for her. Her new husband becomes her new guardian.
Human Rights Watch spoke with women who felt their only safe option was to leave the country after male family members abused and threatened them, but who were unable to convince their guardians, in some cases the abusers, to allow them to travel.
Saudi Arabia’s male guardianship system remains the most significant impediment to women’s rights in the country despite limited reforms over the last decade.
The guardianship system is grounded in the most restrictive interpretation of an ambiguous Quranic verse – an interpretation challenged by dozens of Saudi women, including academics and Islamic feminists, who spoke to Human Rights Watch. A former Saudi judge told Human Rights Watch the country’s imposition of guardianship is not required by Sharia, or Islamic law.
Saudi Arabia, which acceded to the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in 2000, is legally obligated to end discrimination against women without delay, including by abolishing the male guardianship system.
all of which the Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) was engaged with during the session.
Sexual Rights-related Resolutions
Accelerating efforts to eliminate violence against women: Preventing and responding to violence against women and girls, including indigenous women and girlsA/HRC/32/L.28
For the first time in UN history, Comprehensive Sexuality Education is referenced without being qualified by a footnote.
The annual resolution led by Canada focused on Indigenous women this year and sought to renew the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences.
While the resolution lacked specificity in relation to the context in which Indigenous women and girls experience violence and their exposure to different forms of violence, the negative impact of colonialism and access to culturally acceptable services, the resolution did make advances in other areas. For the first time in UN history, comprehensive sexuality education is referenced without being qualified by a footnote. The resolution also references intimate partner violence and women human rights defenders as well as sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, emergency contraception, prevention of adolescent pregnancy, safe abortion where permitted by national law, and women’s rights to have control over all matters related to their sexuality.
The resolution was adopted by consensus, however, Russia introduced 11 amendments (7 of which were withdrawn), to remove references to the Security Council, intimate partner violence, human rights defenders and comprehensive sexuality education. All amendments were defeated. Reservations were noted by Paraguay, Saudi Arabia (on behalf of the Gulf Cooperation Council), Togo and China.
AMENDMENT VOTING
Removal of reference to Security Council
YES 12 / NO 22 / ABSTAIN 13 L36 Rejected
Removal of reference to Intimate Partner Violence
YES 15 / NO 22 / 9 ABSTAIN L37 Rejected
Removal of reference to Human Rights Defenders
YES 14 / NO 23 / ABSTAIN 10 L42 Rejected
Removal of reference to Comprehensive Sexuality Education
YES 10 / NO 24 / ABSTAIN 12 L43 Rejected
Discrimination Against Women in Law and Practice A/HRC/32/L.7
The annual resolution led by Colombia and Mexico focused on discrimination against women with regard to the right to health and safety, the theme of the most recent report of the Working Group on Discrimination Against Women in Law and Practice. The main ask of the resolution was for the extension of the mandate of the Working Group on Discrimination Against Women for a further three years.
The resolution contains strong language on sexual and reproductive health and rights including repealing discriminatory laws such as third party authorization for health services; eliminating legal, administrative, financial and social barriers that hinder women’s right to health; reaffirming women’s rights to bodily autonomy and to have control over all matters related to their sexuality; recognizing that women’s health care is often deficient in relation to privacy and confidentiality and informed choice; and calls upon States to promote a human rights based approach to women’s health.
The resolution was adopted by consensus, however, Russia introduced three amendments to remove references to human rights defenders, the Security Council and a human rights based approach. All amendments were defeated. In addition, reservations were noted by Paraguay, Ecuador, El Savador, Russia, Saudi Arabia (on behalf of the Gulf Cooperation Council) and China.
AMENDMENT VOTING
PP4 Removal of reference to the Security Council
YES 16 / NO 20 / ABSTAIN 11 L67Rejected
OP7 Removal of Human Rights Based Approach
YES 16 / NO 21 / ABSTAIN 9 L69 Rejected
OP18 Removal of Human Rights Defenders
YES 14 / NO 23 / ABSTAIN 9 L70 Rejected
Led by South Africa on behalf of the Africa Group, the goal of the resolution is to intensify efforts to eliminate female genital mutilation (FGM). The resolution was adopted by consensus.
The resolution recalled FGM as a discriminatory practice and reaffirmed that the practice constitutes a serious threat to women and girls’ health. FGM is noted as a human rights violation and abuse of the rights of women and girls and expressed concern over the increasing medicalization of FGM. The resolution highlights that FGM has no relevant religious or cultural basis. There is also a consistent emphasis throughout the text of including men and boys in the process of eliminating FGM.
States are encouraged “to develop, support and promote education programmes, as appropriate including on sexual and reproductive health, that clearly challenge the negative stereotypes.”
Protection against violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identityA/HRC/32/L.2/Rev.1
Presented by Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Colombia, the resolution establishes a new Independent Expert to assess the status of implementation of international human rights law to overcome violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, research and report to the Human Rights Council on the root causes of violence and discrimination on this basis and to engage with States and other stakeholders on this issue.
Saudi Arabia put forward a No Action motion on the whole resolution which was defeated. Russia and Pakistan (on behalf of the OIC except for Albania) put forward 11 amendments to essentially change the whole focus of the resolution and remove reference to SOGI. 4 amendments were defeated and 7 were adopted including troubling language on sovereignty, preservation of cultural values and morals, and rejection of interference by the human rights system on social matters including private individual conduct and national level “sensitivities”. Further voting was called on individual paragraphs which were defeated.
The resolution was adopted by a vote of 23 in favour, 18 against and 6 abstentions.
Addressing the impact of multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination and violence in the context of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance on the full enjoyment of all human rights by women and girlsA/HRC/32/L.28
The core group for this resolution consisted of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The resolution was adopted by consensus.
The resolution calls for awareness of the multiple factors that might make women and girls more vulnerable to racial discrimination. Gender was removed from the title and discrimination in the context of gender is not mentioned, although there is mention of the need to integrate and mainstream a gender perspective into relevant policies and comprehensive gender-responsive, multisectorial policies and programmes.
The resolution calls for a panel to share practices to combat multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination and violence experienced by women which will take place during HRC 36 (Sept 2017). A summary report of the panel will be made by OHCHR.
This annual resolution has a core group comprising of Chile, Ireland, Japan, Sierra Leone, and Tunisia.
The resolution is based on the UN High Commissioner’s report on civil society space and highlights the important role civil society plays in contributing to peace and security, human rights and sustainable development. The resolution also includes a number of positive measures on promoting and protecting civic space and requests the OHCHR to develop a report on the participation of civil society across the UN and regional and international organizations.
Protection of the family: the role of the family in supporting the protection and promotion of human rights of persons with disabilitiesA/HRC/32/L.35
Presented by Bangladesh, Belarus, China, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, El Salvador, Mauritania, Morocco, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Uganda, this resolution is part of a regressive agenda that seeks to elevate the status of ‘the family” within international law at the expense of the human rights of individuals. The text does not recognize diversity of families, that families are often the site of oppression and violence for people with disabilities of all ages, particularly as it relates to sexual and reproductive rights. The resolution calls for a one-day intersessional seminar on the on the role of the family in supporting the protection and promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities, and to discuss challenges and best practices in this regard.
Three amendments were put forward by the UK and one amendment by Switzerland and Norway to recognize that various forms of the family exist and the rights of individual family members. All amendments were defeated.
The resolution was adopted by a vote of 32 in favour, 12 against and 3 abstentions.
AMENDMENT VOTING
Inclusion of Various forms of the family
YES 16 / NO 25 / ABSTAIN 4 L82Rejected
Change family to families and replace persons by their members
YES 13 / NO 27 / ABSTAIN 5 L83 Rejected
Supporting members of the family
YES 14 / NO 27 / ABSTAIN 4 L84 Rejected
Change title to Protection of the family: the role of families in supporting the protection and promotion of the human rights of their members with disabilities
YES 14 / NO 27 / ABSTAIN 4 L89 Rejected
The right to a nationality: Women’s Equal Nationality Rights in Law and in PracticeA/HRC/32/L.12
The core group consisted of Algeria, Australia, Botswana, Colombia, Mexico, Slovakia, Turkey, United States of America.
The resolution requests the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, in coordination with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees: to organize a half-day expert workshop to showcase best practices to promote women’s equal nationality rights in law and in practice.
The resolution was adopted by consensus without a vote.
Realizing the equal enjoyment of the right to education by every girl A/HRC32/L.30
The United Arab Emirates are the main sponsor of this resolution which focuses on ensuring that girls are able to complete a full course of primary and secondary school education and have equal access to all levels of education and quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education. The resolution was passed without a vote.
The resolution urges states to increase efforts by removing obstacles that impede the right to education by every girl: including FGM, gender stereotypes, child early and forced marriage, and early pregnancy.
The need for professionally trained and qualified teachers, including female teachers, and the need to provide full access to separate, adequate and safe sanitation services, that include hygiene kits.
The promotion, protection and enjoyment of human rights on the InternetA/HRC32/L20
The core group consists of: Brazil, Nigeria, Sweden, Tunisia, Turkey and the United States of America. The focus of this resolution is on empowering all women and girls by enhancing their access to information and communications technology, promoting digital literacy, eliminating the digital gender divide, the protection of the freedom of expression, and the elimination of gender based violence on the internet.
The resolution condemns measures to intentionally prevent or disrupt access to or dissemination of information online. The resolution calls for OHCHR to prepare a report on ways to bridge the gender digital divide from a human rights perspective.
AMENDMENT VOTING
Inclusion of reference to eaves-dropping and right to privacy
YES 15 / NO 23 / ABSTAIN 9 L86Rejected
Inclusion of new OP Expresses its concern at the use of the Internet and information and communications technology to disseminate ideas based on racial superiority or hatred, and incitement to racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance
YES 17 / NO 25 / ABSTAIN 5 L87 Rejected
Removal of reference to Human Rights Based Approach
YES 18 / NO 24 / ABSTAIN 5 L88 Rejected
This is the first resolution on Youth and Human Rights. It was tabled by a core group consisting of Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, El Salvador, France, Greece, Italy, Morocco, Philippines, Portugal, Republic of Moldova and Tunisia. The resolution passed unopposed and without a vote.
The resolution calls for a panel on Youth and Human Rights during HRC 33 (March 2017) to identify main challenges faced by youth in the exercise of their rights.
Annual full-day discussion on the human rights of women
Theme 2: Women’s rights and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: delivering on the promise to leave no one behindThe panel provided an opportunity to discuss the Sustainable Development Goals in compliance with human rights obligations, particularly related to gender equality and paying attention to the impact of intersecting forms of discrimination.
The SRI delivered an oral statement addressing laws that criminalize and restrict health services only women and girls, impunity for intimate partner violence, sexual violence and violence against sex workers, the lack of comprehensive sexuality education, and gap in recognizing the intersection of human rights. The SRI encourages states to think about sustainable development in a different way, one that fully respects the autonomy of the person and challenges the gender based status quo that exists in all parts of the world.
Clustered ID with the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences and the Working Group on discrimination against women
The Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences and the Working Group on discrimination against women presented their reports.
The SRI delivered an oral statement, addressing the need for an intersectional approach and calling on states to adopt a holistic, integrated approach to violence and discrimination; to act collaboratively and support NGOs working on violence against women; to continue the work to eliminate online violence while taking measures to recognise and protect the right to privacy and anonymity, freedom of expression and of association and the right to access information; and to adopt a holistic approach towards women’s health and safety.
Panel on the promotion and protection of the right to development: Commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the declaration on the right to development
The discussion focused on the promotion and protection of the right to development in order to generate policy recommendations and practical measures for making the right to development a reality for everyone.
The SRI delivered an oral statement reminding the Council that since there can be no human rights without addressing human needs, the right to development, aimed at addressing human needs, is an integral part of all human rights. The SRI is asking states to act collectively to tackle poverty and inequality and its consequences; to recognize, track and address the human rights implications of development; to resist double standards in the recognition and respect for rights; and to facilitate a holistic approach to the issue of poverty and inequality by addressing its systemic and structural causes.
Report on the Special Rapporteur on the right to everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
The Special Rapporteur on the right to everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health presented his report.
The SRI delivered an oral statement, reminding states that they have the primary responsibility to ensure the full realization of the right to health and must address the root causes presented in the report. The SRI calls for states to meet their obligations to recognize adolescents as rights holders and encourages the Special Rapporteur to continue to focus on and examine adolescents sexual and reproductive health from a human rights perspective.
The SRI delivered an oral statement commending efforts related to sexual orientation and gender identity while reminding the Council that human rights related to sexuality address a wide range of issues that intersect with several other rights. To this end, the SRI called upon the Council to ensure that all measures recognize and address the root causes of violence and discrimination and the multiple and intersecting forms of oppression; to recognize that it is impossible to address violations related to sexuality and gender without naming and addressing their root causes; to systematically address multiple and intersecting forms of oppression; and to recognize and establish protections to all those whose rights are violated through criminalisation.
Outcomes from the 24th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) were reviewed during the 32nd session of the HRC. The following fourteen countries were reviewed: Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Palau, Paraguay, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, and Somalia.
The SRI is a coalition of organizations from Canada, Poland, India, Egypt, Latin America and Africa, that work together to advance human rights related to sexuality at the United Nations.For more information visit www.sexualrightsinitiative.com
TEHRAN — Minoo Khaleghi easily won a seat in the Iranian Parliament in February, part of a wave of independents and reformists who now have the numbers to wrest authority from the hard-liners. On Wednesday, however, a powerful state committee demonstrated that the conservative forces would not relinquish power without a fight.
Citing “evidence” that had emerged against her, the Dispute Settlement Committee of Branches, a part of Iran’s generally conservative judiciary, ruled that Ms. Khaleghi could not be sworn in as a new member of Parliament, the semiofficial Fars News Agency reported. The evidence, it turned out, consisted of photographs of Ms. Khaleghi, “leaked” on social media last week, showing her in public in Europe and in China without the obligatory Islamic head scarf. Hard-liners immediately accused her of “betraying the nation.”
But opposition-aligned analysts and Ms. Khaleghi shot back that the case against her was politically motivated, more about curtailing and marginalizing prominent reformists — and a woman — than about her traveling abroad without a head scarf.
While acknowledging that all Iranian women are obliged to cover themselves in public, even when traveling abroad, they said there was a problem with the evidence. The photographs were, Ms. Khaleghi said in a statement to the official government newspaper Iran, malicious fakes.
Welcoming the adoption of the first international instrument to address the rights of rural women holistically, FIAN International examines the core elements related to the human right to food and nutrition contained in the General Recommendation No. 34.
The General Recommendation is particularly significant because it is the first international instrument that specifically addresses the rights of rural women. Furthermore, it is the first that explicitly recognizes the human right to adequate food and nutrition of rural women within the framework of food sovereignty.
The adoption of this General Recommendation will continue helping raise the visibility of rural women’s human rights on the checklist of issues that the State parties must pay attention to when reporting to the Committee. In turn, it will enable civil society to hold their respective governments accountable for the human rights violations of rural women. This General Recommendation can also play a key role in informing and serving as a basis for upcoming and developing processes at the national, regional and global level.
On this note, FIAN International issues an analytical note that examines the elements related to the human right to food and nutrition that are contained in the General Recommendation. More specifically, the note focuses on: (1) the explicit recognition of the right to food and nutrition within the food sovereignty framework; (2) the recognition of the right to access, control, manage and own all natural and productive resources on which rural women depend; (3) the guarantee of decent work for all rural women workers, including access to social protection; (4) the recognition of the “intertwined subjectivities” of woman and child during pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding and their framing through the lens of women’s rights throughout their lifespan; and (5) the protection of rural women’s roles in the production, processing, distribution, market access, trade, and investment related to the food systems from private actors.
E.S. had been married for 10 years when her husband died. Almost overnight, her life—and her three young children’s—collapsed. E.S.’s in-laws kicked her out of her modest home in Tanzania. She and her children took refuge with her parents. Another widow in Tanzania, S.C., and her infant were also ordered out of their home, in that case too by in-laws.
Under the customary inheritance laws of many communities in Tanzania, a widow with children inherits nothing from her husband. These laws also deny women the right to inherit clan land or to be administrators of their relatives’ estates. Sons inherit clan land and the largest share of personal property, while daughters get no clan land and the smallest share of personal property.
E.S. and S.C. went to court, asserting that their community’s inheritance laws violated Tanzania’s constitution and human rights obligations. One court recognized the discrimination, but rejected their claims. The appeals court took four years to hear the case, and then dismissed it on a technicality. With no hope of justice in these courts, the widows turned to the United Nations.
Last April, in its landmark decision, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (the CEDAW Committee) found that Tanzania’s codified customary law violated the women’s rights by denying them equality in respect of inheritance. It also found that Tanzania’s courts had violated their rights of access to justice and to an effective remedy. It recommended that the Tanzanian government compensate both widows, and called for constitutional and customary law reforms and practical measures to eliminate this discrimination.
However, a year later, the widows are still waiting.
Svetlana Medvedeva cannot rise to the top of her chosen profession for a very simple reason – she is a woman.
The ambition of the 30-year-old mother of two is to earn a much better wage as the captain of a boat on the Volga River, which runs through her hometown of Samara. And with the degree she earned in 2005 from Samara River College, she should be well on her way — or already there.
But with the system in place on the Volga, the occupation of captain requires her to have prior experience as a ship mechanic. And that job is one of hundreds that are open to men only in Russia, according to the law.
A Russian government resolution passed in 2000 prohibits women from 38 industries and over 450 jobs it deems to be “dangerous” or “arduous.”
Adopted during President Vladimir Putin’s first year in office, it was the latest incarnation of Soviet-era regulations that sought to keep women in what the Communist Party once called their “traditional” role of bearing children for the greater good of society.
Hindu religious leader Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati has ignited an outcry in India after saying that entry of women in Shani temple in Maharashtra state will lead to more crimes such as rapes.
Commenting on the recent entry of women in a temple in western Maharashtra state, Shankaracharya, 94, said on Sunday that “women should not feel triumphant about visiting the sanctum sanctorum of Shani Shingnapur temple in Maharashtra.
“They should stop all the drum beating about what they have done. Worshipping Shani will bring ill luck to them and give rise to crimes against them like rape,” he was quoted as saying by the Indian Express newspaper on Sunday.
Women’s groups and activists decried the comment, describing the statement as patriarchal and against the dignity of women.
“Society is not going to tolerate this. Women will struggle against such mindset,” Jagmati Sangwan, General Secretary of All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), told Al Jazeera by phone on Monday.
Last week, Maharashtra High Court struck down a 400-year-old ban on entry of women in Shani Shingnapur temple on the ground that women cannot be discriminated on basis of their gender.
