Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (1979)
The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) remains is a salient gender equality document, which covers an extensive range of topics emphasizing the numerous domains relevant to any discourse – or most of them at any rate – for the equality of the sexes and, more pertinently, of women with men.
It may not be true for every man; it may not be true for every woman. However, the general trend throughout the long history of the world is the gender inequality with the gender majority benefits for men and the gender mostly negatives for women, where the equality of the sexes binds itself in documents and stand apart from the long dark night of history with, for one stark example, most women being considered public utilities for babies – hopefully, male – or as concubines.
Indeed, the main function of women was bound to their very identity attached to the males of the community and the family and community themselves rather than for simply being a human being. Women were chattel, property. Now, we are beginning to recognize the human status of women.
Now, the document continues with the emphasis, as it should, on the state actors or the countries of the world bound to the CEDAW. All appropriate measures will be taken and should in some sense be enforceable if seen as morally serious as a nation. Why not enforce that which one considers morally defensible? Something needing to be done and so then going about doing it.
Within that simple ethical thought experiment, we see the import of the notion of “all appropriate measures” in Article 10(a). Once more, and ad infinitum, the emphasis remains on the elimination of the discrimination against women for them to be equal with the men in the societies bound to the CEDAW.
For Article 10, the emphasis is in the area of education. In particular, in Article 10(a), we find the career and vocational guidance for the equality of men and women as an important part of it. Males and females should be bound within the same conditions for the access to studies.
The ability to enter into the educational arena and, subsequently, compete on an equal playing field with the men in the educational curricula of the world is not a trivial point. In fact, it is a highly individualized and important domain because not all educational curricula are the same, nor are they equivalently giving access to the women to them.
That is, the governments, the religions, the communities, and the cultures are stopping women from being able to access studies. The reasons seem inculcated in a number of domains. One, of course, and very old, is the idea that education is only for the man because his basis for identity is in providing for the family alone.
That leaves the women with their identities tied to a subordinate role in the home care and childcare and in submission for birthing and sexual activities usually on the male’s schedule and timetable. The educational arena becomes very, very important not to be understated in the least for its emotional and professional impact in the lives of adult women, and girls who watch them and older women who hope for them.
Insofar as the achievement of diplomas is a necessity for the equality of the sexes, we can see the rural and urban areas as the emphases. Of course, this is simply saying wherever a woman may be living. The ability to achieve diplomas from educational establishments remains a right and something both not to be taken for granted and also needing enforcement for the equality of the sexes.
The sciences and the humanities and the trades, all categories in the educational establishments shall be places for women to be able to achieve equality. Furthermore, the level of the education should not be an issue too.
Take the direct listing with the “pre-school, general, technical, professional and higher technical education, as well as in all types of vocational training.” That is to say, the women of the world should not be limited in their educational access, especially as the modern educational landscape provides the foundation for economic success.
The jobs in the middle of the economy are continuing to disappear and the ones at the lowest end and the highest end are where they are maintained or new ones are created; thus, we, the global community, are left in an interesting predicament of how to integrate into this modern and upcoming economy, where, unfortunately for the men and fortunately the women but based on individual choices, the people getting the educations and educational credentials/certifications/qualifications relevant to these higher-end technical jobs are the women.
The men have lost a huge amount of their economic power in the world and, therefore, their identities as the sole provider in the family, which creates ripple effects throughout their lives, families, communities, and societies – all over the world – as women continue to rise and the men continue to be on the decline.
The implications for the relations between the sexes are important but the fundamental issue is that this has never, ever been the case in the long march of recorded history, which leaves the sexes at an impasse but also on a basis for new ope and freedom in social and economic life.
That also means the roles will change and are changing, but these developments do not and should not negate the fundamental basis for the need of equality between the sexes as laid out in the CEDAW and other documents. In the relationship with the educational domains, the CEDAW Article 10 is highly involved and relevant and will continue to be covered, in The Good Men Project.
The issues to be discussed here are important because at the same time as there is a rise of women; there is an uprising of retrospective idealists and regressive political and social forces wanting women back in the home, at the behest of men for sex and children and home care.
The work to move forward in this new world organizational development provides a lot of hope, but needs our work to maintain and continue its march; otherwise, the regressive forces will fill the void.
- The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the Preamble, Article 16, and Article 25(2).
- Convention Against Discrimination in Education (1960) in Article 1.
- The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966) in Article 3 and Article 13.
- International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966).
- Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (1979).
- Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1984).
- The Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (1993).
- Beijing Declaration(1995).
- United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000).
- Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children (2000).
- The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa or the “Maputo Protocol” (2003).
- Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence or the Istanbul Convention (2011) Article 38 and Article 39.
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Image Credits: Pixabay