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What are women's rights as human beings in the developing world?

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: http://www.hrw.org/women

This is a pressing question brought to light by recent events in Afghanistan, Kenya, Russia, Albania, Palestine, Greece, Bosnia, Nigeria, Sudan, where women have been either kept in a semi-slavery condition by their men, or harassed and abused, both physically and sexually. On my travels through countries of the less developed world, I often was puzzled by the visible absence of women in public places. When I asked about this in Khartoum, Sudan, I was told that women were at home taking care of the family, and should not go out without the escort of a male family member. There were women in the market place selling food items, but otherwise they were not seen publicly, except at the university where young women were more free to interact with the outside world. Is this a function of education, or social tolerance because they were students? Would this condition then change once they left the university? In western countries, France, Italy, Germany, for example, there is anecdotal evidence that women are brought in from poorer countries for prostitution, often kept brutally as virtual slaves by their owners. These are disturbing trends, not necessarily new, that imports a lack of human rights for women from countries where these rights little exist, or are totally absent. If so, then are more developed nations being "invaded" by these cultural differences that are odious to more civilized societies? How do we view a report from Sudan, http://hrw.org/press/2002/02/sudan-ltr0201.htm : "We are writing to express our deep concern over a ruling by a criminal court in Nyala, southern Darfur, that sentenced Abok Alfa Akok to death by stoning after finding her guilty of adultery", for example? How does the world tolerate such intolerance and, more importantly, how do we who value women's rights change this? In Saudi Arabia, women face pervasive discrimination of unequal status with men in matters relating to marriage, divorce, child custody, freedom of motion: http://hrw.org/backgrounder/mena/saudi/#Discrimination against Women . As a key strategic ally of the United States, and Europe, how could this be allowed to go on in silence? What is most disturbing, however, is that rather than this being the exception, such discrimination against women is becoming more the norm in a growing part of the world, as if civilization is suddenly faced with the prospect of taking a giant step backwards. I suspect that this is not an issue only of men keeping women down, but also of women keeping women down, voluntarily of their own "free" will, which is paradoxical. How can this be? How could women agree to opress and coerce themselves? Is it an issue of education, or of more equitable distribution of wealth, of religious beliefs, or just mistaken perception of how women are viewed in different cultural settings? Is it acceptable to have women treated as property, about on par with household furniture or husbandry, or is it a far better thing to see women empowered, both socially and economically, to move into the progressive developments of human society, where they are treated as equals, as all human beings of the world? Is this not evidence of a violence against human beings who happen to be born female, an insidious coercion tacitly accepted by half the population which knows the other half only as mother, or sister, or wife, or more commonly concubine? But not as a human being? How about forced virginity tests in Turkey? Or forced prostitution in Greece? Or sexual violence in South Africa? In many societies, a woman's body is never seen naked, not until the nuptial bed, or women tourists at a beach. I had seen bus loads of men deposited on the beach in Kovalum, south India, who had paid a fare to gawk at bikini clad western women, who embarrassed and harassed would then shoo them away like so many pesky flies. Is this what the future will bring, a world of perversion because of sexual repression? Is this not sad?

So this is the question: Where do we go from here on women's human rights? Are we to progress further and expand the gains of equality made in the last century, or are we beginning to erode those gains, and further retreat into more regressive times where women were viewed as non-equal to men, more as their property? Which way is our world civilization headed, towards more freedom and tolerance for all human beings, or towards repression and slavery? One should remember that there are two ends to the leash some men would place on women, so neither can be a free human being without freedom for the other. I believe it is in the virtues of this freedom that we who are not enslaved have our greatest strength.

Respectfully,

Editors, HumanCafe

How can we help?

Dear all readers, women and men, consider this:
What would you say to the women of the developing
world to help them in overcoming their abuses?
Can we say anything? Would the same message be
also for women of the developed world, when they
suffer abuse? How can we help?

Sincerely, Ivan

Abuses of Women:

Any group of people who think being abused by another, their superiors, their equals, or else otherwise, are bound to suffer. Whether kept in fear or with promises of a good life in safety, or heaven, their lives will remain miserable, until they hear the words of freedom. When they see a way out, they will take it.

Quoted from Ryszard Kapuscinski, Polish writer:
"The causes of a revolution are usually sought in objective conditions -- general poverty, oppression, scandalous abuses. But this view, while correct, is one sided.
After all, such conditions exist in a hundred countries, but revolutions erupt rarely. What is needed is the consciousness of poverty and the consciousness of oppression, and the convection tht poverty and oppression are not the natural order of the world."

This consciousness happened in many parts of the world, at different times, which led to the ending of slavery, and serfdom, and the oppression of one people by another, and now Communism. Why can it not happen in the liberation of the oppressed conditions of women in the more repressive Moslem countries?

Women for Peace\what else could we do?

Yesterday there was a meeting held in Viterbo, Italy, with 2 women: one was Ruth Hiller, israelian, founder of New Profile, the other was palestinian working for a pacifist organization:

New Profile
P.O. Box 48005 Tel Aviv 61480


The meeting was organized mainly for 2 purposes: To gather dry milk, riso, sugar and medicine for the starving palestinians,and to find money to buy at least an ambulance because most of them have been destroyed last month during the military actions in the occupied territories.


The other subject of the meeting, was the focus that Ruth Hiller has been trying to bring in Israel first and now in the international comunities: to have her government working again toward civil-ization. She said that 5 years ago one of her 2 sons came home and told her that as a pacifist, he didn't wanted to be involved in the Israeli military machine and he didn't know how to avoid being drafted since civil service was not an option. She decided to help him, knowing that in Israel, were the law wants every citizen of both sex being drafted, it would be very hard to find a way to avoid being drafted and he is still under trial, while the other son just got reformed under medical leave. She explained that more than 22% of the popolation refuse to go into the military and that another 20% manage to be reformed for medical reasons. This makes a big part of the population opposing to be part of the military design.To refuse to be drafted is difficult in Israel, since those that don't accept the military duty are not only outlaw but also outcasted even in their own family. The society will give most of the benefits only during and after the military service.


She has founded this organization called NEW PROFILE and she has managed to give a voice to those that oppose the present israelian occupation and militarization.They are asking that the focus and part of that 40% of the budget that is spent in military expenses, would be ridirect into civil-ization, for projects that have to do with civil services, schools and medical structures etc.


Every Thursday in Israel there are silent demostrations in different places, of the 'Women in Black' a group of pacifist women, that don't have many other way to express their opinions and opposition to their politicians. In that government of 140 politicians, only 12 are women.


Women that are against the militarization of Israel are called isteric and ignorant.What they are asking is to have a choise, they don't want to educate their children to a reality of revenge and military action and occupation, and they ask to have a choice and a possibily of civil service to do even in non governative organizations.


Those women want to change the educational system, to achive a real democratic and civil education, where there could be a teaching for peace solutions and peaceful resolution of conflicts. They could use any help it could be given to them.

Here is Ruth email: mail{graylady@haogen.org.il,graylady@haogen.org.il}


http://www.newprofile.org/english


They will be happy to have people that will contact them and and will give a stronger public voice.

As a Developing World issue, Human Rights (not Feminism) must be primary, which the U.N. Commission tends to acknowledge in terms of it approach. The key method question is: is it best to fix the complex factors which serve to repress women (and hence, impede societal progress); or, is it better to address specific societal problems, which in turn provides piecemeal remedies to the deeper cultural patterns that repress women? One suspects that immediate answering to major societal woes is most efficacious. Consider the HIV epidemics in Central Africa. Yes, improved education/status of women, long-term, is best. Yet, perhaps short-term fixes are the priority. Thoughts? G-man

WOMEN APOSTLES?

Church kicks out women 'priests'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2173868.stm

It's absurd to say women may not be priests because they were not among Jesus Christ's Apostles. In fact, there is evidence there were women Apostles, as many as the men, except, because of the biases of the day, they were not counted. The only one not lost to history was Mary Magdalena. Just because The Last Supper happened to be a "guys night out" should not exclude women form worshipping at the altar, or presenting the Eucharist.

Ivan

Quote from this article:

AlterNet: What Would Mohammed Do?

"Nowhere in the Koran does it say adulterers should be stoned. (which the "Bible" DOES say in Leviticus...ECS) Nowhere does it say that women should be completely covered."

TTFN shalom, salaam, namaste.

.

Ukrainian NGO participation at the United Nations


Every March, the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), a functional

commission of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), convenes at the

United Nations. The purpose of the CSW is "to prepare recommendations and

reports to the Council on promoting women's rights in political, economic,

civil, social and educational fields." As a non-governmental organization

(NGO) in consultative status at ECOSOC since 1993, the World Federation of

Ukrainian Women's Organizations (WFUWO) has been an active participant in

the annual CSW conferences. This year, the 46th Session of the CSW, which

took place from 4-15 March, considered two broad issues: (1) eradicating

poverty, including through the empowerment of women throughout their life

cycle in a globalizing world; and (2) environmental management and

mitigation of natural disasters: a gender perspective.


The WFUWO representatives to the UN were joined last month by the

organization's president Oksana Sokolyk. Based in Toronto, Mrs. Sokolyk is a

frequent traveler attending conferences around the world, bringing attention

to women's issues within a Ukrainian context. A special guest from Ukraine,

Zoriana Bilyk, head of the Lviv Oblast branch of Soyuz Ukrayinok (Ukrainian

National Women's League), also participated in the CSW Session.


CSW sessions culminate in documented recommendations that are submitted to

ECOSOC. This year, they will include proposals to "ensure the full

participation of women in sustainable development decision-making and

disaster reduction management at all levels," and, "that in order to

eradicate poverty and promote gender equality and democracy, and strengthen

the rule of law, both women and men are involved in decision-making,

political agenda-setting and in allocation of resources." Owing to the

current violence in the Middle East and Asia, much of the focus at the 46th

Session was justifiably diverted to the plight of Afghan and Palestinian

women and girls. Statements drafted at the conclusion of the Session called

on the international community to show responsibility in protecting the

human rights of Afghan and Palestinian women and girls, and invited greater

involvement of Afghan and Palestinian women in the international community.


WFUWO has taken strong positions over the years at the United Nations with

respect to issues that directly affect Ukrainian women such as the AIDS/HIV

pandemic and the global trafficking of women and girls. Of paramount

importance to WFUWO has also been the long term demographic and health

effects of Chornobyl with a special emphasis on women's health. More

information about WFUWO and its work at the United Nations is available on

the website at: www.WFUWO.org.


Photo copyright:

© HK/BRAMA


Photo captions (photo emailed separately):


WFUWO at the United Nations 7 March, 2002.


l-r: Zoriana Bilyk (Soyuz Ukrayinok, Lviv), and WFUWO representatives, Nadia

Shmigel, Oksana Sokolyk (WFUWO president), Iryna Kurowyckyj, Slawa Rubel,

and Daria Dykyj.


WFUWO representatives not pictured: Olga Stawnychy, Hanya Krill, Martha

Kichorowska-Kebalo and Ulana Kekish-Solodenko.

A very wise woman, Helena Roerich, once
wrote that until the Feminine Principle is
valued to the same extent as the Masculine
Principle, humanity will not progress.
Patriarchal attitudes have become a habit,
and as such can be overcome.

Women, as well as men, must take
responsibility for the rebalancing of gender
roles, indeed, must move beyond imposed
roles into a new awareness that gender is
really only the outer veil, that we are all
members of One Life. That Life, that can be
called whatever you choose, is fully
androgynous and, at one and the same time,
well beyond and the source of, gender itself.

Life is not static, it comes and it goes, creating
forms as needed for Its purpose. Some of
those forms are gendered female, and some
male. When we realize that neither is "good"
nor "bad" nor "more" nor "less", then we will,
as Humanity, move beyond such stifling and
boxed in references.