Human Rights, Not for Girls Only
I am coming to the end of my week in New York City attending the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. I have attended many workshops pertaining to issues of human rights, globally. A couple of key points seem to be universal to all of the workshops I have attended.
1. Countries and Nations around the world may readily adopt treatises and resolutions for human rights and gender equality...BUT there is almost no accountability for implementing and living into these, once signed.
2. We need to move away from policies and language that further diminish women by focusing on the victimization of women while failing to acknowledge the role and responsibility of perpetrators of violence against women.
3. Globally, victim-centered resolutions allow men/perpetrators to be invisible and unaccountable for actions.
4. The internet has contributed to heightened invisibility of sex-trade and sex-slave market, from the workshop Corporate Responsibility: The Internet and Sex Trafficking
5. Victims of sex trade should never be called "sex-workers". The word "work" is an effort to legitimize an industry that is founded on oppression, violence, and taking advantage of women and children who see no choices in life. For more check out The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women
6. Giving women and girl-children access to quality education and then opportunities to earn a viable living wage are crucial to overcoming the systemic global crisis we face. Educating women and girls and helping them find quality work is proven to improve the overall condition of every country.
In other words addressing human rights agendas of gender equality improves the lives of all human beings, men and women, boys and girls.
1. Countries and Nations around the world may readily adopt treatises and resolutions for human rights and gender equality...BUT there is almost no accountability for implementing and living into these, once signed.
2. We need to move away from policies and language that further diminish women by focusing on the victimization of women while failing to acknowledge the role and responsibility of perpetrators of violence against women.
3. Globally, victim-centered resolutions allow men/perpetrators to be invisible and unaccountable for actions.
4. The internet has contributed to heightened invisibility of sex-trade and sex-slave market, from the workshop Corporate Responsibility: The Internet and Sex Trafficking
5. Victims of sex trade should never be called "sex-workers". The word "work" is an effort to legitimize an industry that is founded on oppression, violence, and taking advantage of women and children who see no choices in life. For more check out The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women
6. Giving women and girl-children access to quality education and then opportunities to earn a viable living wage are crucial to overcoming the systemic global crisis we face. Educating women and girls and helping them find quality work is proven to improve the overall condition of every country.
In other words addressing human rights agendas of gender equality improves the lives of all human beings, men and women, boys and girls.
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