Local Action/Global Change: A Handbook on Women's Human Rights

by Mertus,Julie A.

• ISBN13: 9781594515156
• ISBN10: 1594515158
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2008-08-30
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

This handbook on women's human rights is an integrated set of fourteen teaching and learning units. Together, they are designed to identify key issues in women's human rights, define concepts, outline different methodologies for achieving women's human rights, and offer a wide range of activities to facilitate teaching, learning, and discussion of women's human rights challenges. Included in every chapterare a statement of key objectives, background information, discussion questions, special issue boxes, strategies and examples for taking action, and learning activities. Also included are key UN documents and international law bearing on women's human rights. Handouts, checklists, assessment forms, and activist organizations round out the range of reference materials provided. User-friendly, jargon-free, authoritative, and packed with hands-on information, the handbook is an essential resource for anyone working in the field, human rights professionals, scholars, students, and activists.

Author Biography

Julie A. Mertus is Associate Professor and Codirector of the MA program in Ethics, Peace, and Global Affairs at American University

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. ix
Foreword	p. xi
Prologue	p. xv
Introduction to Women's Human Rights	p. 1
From Human Needs to Human Rights	p. 9
The Body of Human Rights	p. 11
Sex or Gender?	p. 16
Exploring Gender Stereotypes	p. 17
Women's Experience with Discrimination	p. 18
Standing Up for Yourself	p. 19
What Are Women's Human Rights?	p. 23
The Roots of Our Activism	p. 24
Victim, Abuser, Bystander, Helper	p. 26
Women's Human Rights to Equality and Nondiscrimination	p. 28
Identity and Interconnectedness	p. 29
The Complex Nature of Discrimination	p. 35
Examples of Discrimination	p. 36
Defining and Analyzing Racism	p. 39
Analyzing Culture and Religion	p. 45
Myths and Stereotypes about Disability	p. 49
Examining Women's Intimate Relationships	p. 52
Acknowledging Class	p. 53
Responding to Concerns of Older Women	p. 56
Speaking Out Against Discrimination	p. 56
Women's Human Rights in the Family	p. 62
Decision-Making Power in the Family	p. 65
Indivisibility and Interdependence of Rights	p. 69
Religion, Culture, and the Family	p. 71
When Private Is Public	p. 74
Marriage Customs	p. 76
Nationality Laws	p. 78
Responding to Women Who Live Apart from Men	p. 81
Speaking Out for Women's Human Rights in the Family	p. 84
The Human Rights of Young Women and Girls	p. 87
Childhood Myths	p. 89
Traditional Practices	p. 95
Taking Action Against Sexual Harassment and Violence	p. 100
A Girl Laborer's Story	p. 103
Speaking Out for the Human Rights of Young Women and Girls	p. 106
Women's Human Right to Health	p. 112
Defining Women's Health	p. 114
Health Needs at the Community Level	p. 116
Impact of a Woman's Health on Her Life Cycle	p. 120
Speaking Out for Women's Health	p. 123
Women's Human Rights to Reproduction and Sexuality	p. 127
Discussion Circle on Reproductive Rights	p. 128
Decisions About Reproduction and Sexuality	p. 130
Taking Action for Reproductive Rights	p. 133
Conflicting Messages About Reproduction	p. 136
Blaming the Poor	p. 139
Sex Education for Whom?	p. 141
Speaking Out for Women's Reproductive and Sexual Rights	p. 143
Women's Human Right to Freedom from Violence	p. 147
Defining Violence Against Women	p. 151
The Cycle of Recognition and Enforcement of Rights	p. 157
Myths and Facts About Domestic Violence	p. 160
Violence and Inability to Flee	p. 163
Human Rights and Violence Against Women	p. 164
Speaking Out on Violence Against Women	p. 168
Women's Human Right to an Adequate Standard of Living	p. 172
Identifying Basic Needs	p. 173
Impact of Poverty on Women	p. 175
Last in Line for Food	p. 180
Thinking About Adequate Housing as a Human Right	p. 186
Speaking Out for Women's Human Right to an Adequate Standard of Living	p. 188
Women's Human Rights and Globalization	p. 192
The Global Marketplace	p. 194
Weighing the Positive and Negative Effects of Globalization on Women	p. 196
Trafficking and Gender Bias	p. 198
Women and Poverty Reduction	p. 204
Gender and Development-Taking a Stand	p. 207
Making Women's Economic Rights a Reality	p. 210
Women's Human Rights and Work	p. 215
The 24-Hour Day	p. 216
Informal Work	p. 219
Women Wage Earners in Your Community	p. 220
Discrimination on the Job	p. 223
Affirmative Action-Should Mano Be Hired?	p. 225
Is This Sexual Harassment?	p. 227
Unsuitable Work for a Woman	p. 229
Speaking Out for Women at Work	p. 232
Women's Human Right to Education	p. 235
Why We Learn	p. 236
Education Makes a Difference	p. 238
I Can't Read It!	p. 240
Bringing Education to All Women	p. 243
Gender-Role Stereotyping in Education	p. 245
Nko's Story	p. 248
The Role of Government Versus the Role of Tradition	p. 249
Speaking Out for Women's Human Right to Education	p. 252
Women's Human Rights in Politics, Public Life, and the Media	p. 256
A Recipe for Political Success	p. 260
Obstacles to Public Participation	p. 262
Political Persecution of Women	p. 264
Becoming a Public Person, Taking a Public Stand	p. 268
Portrayal of Women in the Media	p. 272
Alternative Media for Women	p. 274
Speaking Out for Women's Human Rights in Politics, Public Life, and the Media	p. 276
Human Rights of Refugee, Displaced, and War-Affected Women	p. 280
The Impact of Armed Conflict on Women's Lives	p. 284
Political Flight	p. 286
Possible Intervention for Women Refugees	p. 289
The Right to Asylum-Refugees at the Border	p. 292
The Right to Asylum-Refugees Before a Tribunal	p. 294
Women as Agents for Peace?	p. 300
Speaking Out for the Human Rights of Women in Wartime	p. 302
The Road Ahead: Local Action and Global Change	p. 309
Analytical Tables: Analyzing Human Rights Problems, Implementing Human Rights Strategies	p. 311
Participatory Methodologies for Educators and Facilitators	p. 313
Using Human Rights Systems and Mechanisms	p. 325
Glossary	p. 329
Bibliography	p. 336
Index	p. 342
About the Authors	p. 350
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