Women Rights violations and role of NGOs
February 17, 2010
Women are not rendered much importance in the affairs of life, by men, in most regions of the world. This trend however is most notable in South Asia due to extended practices of male chauvinism and egoistic nature. South Asia is an important region in the world affairs nowadays. But one important part which has been continuously ignored is the women of this region.
South Asia can boast as being the home of the oldest civilizations of the world unfortunately all these nations are nowadays the poorest among the world, where among other social ills the human rights violations have deep roots. In Asia, especially in South Asia women are stereotyped and are not recognized by their work in society, they are rather seen by their contribution towards their families. According to Human Development Report in South Asia of 2000, the women of South Asia are only 33% contributors in the total official labor force. This situation had hardly improved in 2003 and the same situation faces us in 2009.
Women are essential part of any society and the progression of society greatly depends on it. No society can progress if they are not giving women their due share of responsibility and encouragement. However the fact remains that denial of the rights of the women has been often defended by many cultures and religions and as a result the whole society suffers. But in the past few decades much work has been done for the empowerment, employment and development of women. NGOs, national and international, have played an important role in bringing up this growing awareness in the local masses.
Since ancient times women were treated with unfair ways and means. There was a hereditary bias practiced against the womenfolk in almost all the societies. The status acquired by women in the modern world has witnessed a long trial of hurdles and opposition from men due to their command upon women to use them according to their own wishes. In ancient times of Greeks and Romans women were considered as the slaves of men, secondary in roles and consent to their fathers, brothers, husbands and sons. The first enlightment era for women was in the 622 AD, Constitution of Madina by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) who testified himself on the behalf of women and gave them legal rights and much better social status, such privileges were not available to them before Islam and even many years after Islam in different societies.
During middle Ages, from twelve century onwards men were still subservient to women even in Europe, though in 16 century many female literary figures came forward. It was not until 18 century that women rights became the central political debate in England and France foreseeing that it was the faulty upbringing and education of women which created difference in expectations. During 1800s women began to challenge, in United States and Britain, the set norms that did not allow women to have property on their own name once married and in 1848 and 1860 such statutes were passed which protected women against this bias.
The situation much altered with the twentieth century and the rapid development that came up after the world wars. During this era women all over the world started campaigning for a right of vote and other social and political rights and as a result in the late 19th century and beginning of the 20th century many new rights were legally entitled
For women. The movement for women which expanded much more in the later centuries became famous as Feminism.
Another major development was seen in the form of UN in 1945, which allocated a proper world forum for women to struggle for their rights. UN announced the decade of 1975-1985 as women’ decade and much work was done through conferences; held in different parts of the world, where members of many states participated and showed their interest in eliminating gender and social bias towards women and to allocate them all kinds of social, political and individual freedom in their state constitutions. In 1979 Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women was adopted by United Nations General Assembly.
Main change that came with the twentieth century was that women came up in the professional life and adopted many new fields of education. This rather new development also reached and spread in the Third World regions like South Asia. As women started traveling on the path of empowerment they suffered many hurdles. This was the time when women activists came in to support and guide women in their journey. These activists stood up from different organizations, mostly non-governmental, and allowed all kind of assistance to women especially poor and deprived ones.
This research focuses on the status of women in these different South Asian states, namely, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Srilanka and Maldives and also on the role of different local and international NGOs in guiding women to gain success in society and eliminate the hurdles they face in bringing out women from the claws of male chauvinism.
Check out more south asia news at world magnified.
Got something to say?