Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Thursday, March 28th, 2024

Women and the Basic Rights

The Legal Rights of Women refers to the social and human rights of women. One of the first women’s rights declarations was the Declaration of Sentiments. From women’s involvement within the abolition movements, women of the early 1800s became aware of the male dominance in society. From there onward, women struggled for equality, and were largely rewarded.

Violence in many forms against the women is in practice even today in Afghanistan and other under-developed countries. Physical along with mental torture are on rise in places where illiteracy rate is high. At some places, women are regarded by man as a property, and so goes their undue forceful domination over them in unjust way.

In regard to violations on women folk,  In December 1999, the United Nations General Assembly designated 25 November as the international day for the elimination of violence against women. The UN invited governments, international organizations and NGOs to organize activities designated to raise public awareness of the problem on this day as an international observance. Despite resolutions passed by the United Nation, rare implementation over the said matter is observed around.

The women’s movement is in part of a struggle for the recognition of equality of opportunity with men, and for equal rights irrespective of sex, even if special relations and conditions are willingly incurred under the form of partnership involved in marriage. The difficulties of obtaining this recognition are due to historical factors combined with the habits and customs, history has produced.

Through a combination of economic changes and the efforts of the feminist movement in recent decades, women in most societies now have access to careers beyond the traditional one of “home-maker”. Despite these advances, modern women in Western society still face challenges in the workplace as well as with the topics of education, violence, health care, and motherhood to name a few.

In all the societies, with few exceptions, women are subjected with discrimination. The equal status for women in male dominated has never come to view. Women suffering from educational, societal, political discrimination are still many in numbers. Most of the jobs with better salary, position and career are specified for man class. It is still hard for a woman especially in a country like Afghanistan to come out of the home for putting her share in the overall progress of the country. Still, Ignorance ruling societies with the restrictions imposed over the women are parochial to see them contributing in the reconstruction process of their home-land.

Countless may be the women who may eagerly want to contribute their parts in different walks of life but on account of societal and religious parochialism, they find themselves bounded in this regard. The inborn faculties bestowed by God Almighty go all wasted in presence of chains, put to subdue women unfairly. Among the basic rights of women, there are access to health centers, educational institutions, political fronts, the right of decision-making, and societal equity.

According to traditional frames of mind, women have to be restricted within the four walls and do the household chores with their lips sealed. They should live under the dominance of their husbands and created to satisfy their carnal desires. Their presence in social life is toxic to the society on the grounds that their devilish charm will challenge men’s faith. Ultimately, men will be tempted to their feminine attractions and divert from the right path. Therefore, women have to live behind a screen.

At present, in many countries of the world women face hindrance to their participation in politics. These barriers are to be found in prevailing social and economic regimes, as well as in existing political structures. In 2005, the rate of female representation stands at nearly 16 percent globally. Although this figure has increased in recent years, minimal progress means that the ideal of parity still remains distant.

Increasing the level of female representation and participation in decision-making bodies requires well-developed strategies and information on which measures have worked successfully in different countries with different political systems. In this respect, Afghanistan with rather good number of female representatives, when compared with the past time, stands sound on the track to promote equality irrespective of gender. Among the radical rights of women, access to health care is another. It is very misfortune of us that a large number of health facilities do not have a single woman in their staff. So, culture-dominated societies in the country are only in favor of the treatment by women doctors.

More than one million of Afghanistan’s primary school age girls are not enrolled in schools which show how many girls are still denied the right to go to school. So, for a nation endeavoring to rebuild itself, to grow, to become more stable, and to restart the economy, every one of the 1 million girls represents a wasted potential for the country.

Any how, only and only earnest measures taken by the government and the world community in this respect can mitigate their sufferings and distresses which are inflicted because of the gender.