The present report is submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 19/6 and focuses on the enjoyment of cultural rights by women on an equal basis with men.
The Special Rapporteur proposes to shift the paradigm from one that views culture as an obstacle to women’s rights to one that seeks to ensure equal enjoyment of cultural rights; such an approach also constitutes an important tool for the realization of all their human rights.
The American Political Science Review has recently published an article “The Civic Origins of Progressive Policy Change: Combating Violence against Women in Global Perspective, 1975–2005” which reveals that “feminist movements is more important for change than the wealth of nations, left-wing political parties, or the number of women politicians”
“Change happens through protecting girls rights in law and practice, empowering them to take control of their own bodies and destinies, and even become leaders and change-makers themselves. Change happens through raising community awareness of the dangers of child marriage, and the benefits of stopping this practice. Imagine if we connect all those around the world who are working bravely to end child marriage. Imagine the change of scale possible.” - Mary Robinson, the Elders
As a police officer in Islamabad, Mehmood Ahmed has witnessed how women in Pakistan are often the victims of grave social injustices from forced marriages to acid-throwings and so-called honour killings.
Executive Summary- The Women Human Rights Defenders program at Nazra for Feminist Studies is launching its manual on Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs). Rather than translate into Arabic manuals that have been produced by other organizations, the WHRD program opted to produce it’s a manual that is especially tailored to the Egyptian context.
In this discussion paper, I show how zina laws and the criminalization of consensual sexual activity can also be challenged from within Islamic legal tradition. Far from mutually opposed, approaches from Islamic studies, feminism and human rights perspectives can be mutually reinforcing, particularly in mounting an effective campaign against revived zina laws. By exploring the intersections between religion, culture and law that legitimate violence in the regulation of sexuality, the paper aims to contribute to the development of a contextual and integrated approach to the abolition of zina laws. In so doing, I hope to broaden the scope of the debate over concepts and strategies of the SKSW Campaign.
