EDUCATING FOR WOMENS' RIGHTS

Article by Liza Mathew K, Research Scholar, SPS

Education plays a pivotal role in bringing up an individual as a worthy member of the global community.Responsible and democratic social living demand from an individual not only an awareness of his own rights and duties but also a respect for other’s rights. Education, which plays a vital role in moulding the world, has an important role to play in the protection and promotion of these rights. Since the full and complete development of a country, the welfare of the world and the cause of peace require the maximum participation of women on equal terms with men in all fields, the protection and preservation of their rights is of utmost importance. The broad goals of education specify that education should help students to develop tolerance and respect for the ideas, beliefs and rights of others.

The Rights of Women

The term Women’s Rights typically refers to freedom inherently possessed by women and girls of all ages, which may be institutionalised or ignored and/or illegitimately suppressed by law or custom in a particular society. These rights of women are grouped together and differentiated from broader notions of human rights because they often differ from the freedom inherently possessed by or recognised for men and boys.Millions of women throughout the world today live in conditions of adject deprivation of and attacks against their fundamental human rights for no other reason than that they are women.Violence and discrimination against woman are global epidemics.

History of Womens Rights

Women have been trying for a very long time to gain the same status and rights as men. Though ideals of emancipation can be traced back to the Renaissance period, women’s fight for their rights gained considerable momentum from the eighteenth century onwards. The most decisive and irreversible transformation in the status of women came in the 19th century when girls and women gained access to education at all levels. Political right for women, especially the right to vote was another important milestone. It was New Zealand that first granted women the right to vote, in 1893, followed by Australia in 1902, Finland in 1906 and Norway in 1913.
The Charter of the United Nations, which reaffirms “faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women” was the first international instrument to define equal rights for men and women in precise terms. The first major step taken by U.N. to ensure genuine equality between men and women was the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948. In 1952, the UN General Assembly adopted the recommendations of the Convention on the Political Rights of Women, the main purpose of which was to ensure equality of political rights between women and men in accordance with the provisions of the charter of the U.N. and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The Declaration of Elimination of Discrimination against Women in 1967 marked an important stage in the combat against all forms of discrimination against women. The declaration can be regarded as the first attempt to codify the norms governing the elimination of discrimination against women in all areas. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in 1979, The World Conference on Human Rights, held in Vienna, Austria, in 1993 and The Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 are the other major landmarks.

Role of Education

If women are to be equal partners with men, in every aspect of life and development, now is the time to recognize the human dignity and worth of the girl child and to ensure the full enjoyment of her human rights and fundamental freedom. Empowerment of women and equality between women and men are prerequisites for achieving political, social, economic and cultural advancement in the world. Educational institutions are one of the most appropriate places to expand the education for Women’s Rights and female dignity. It promotes experience in thinking critically about the issues and their application in particular case of the denial of rights. The global social epidemic of violence and discrimination against women can be curbed only through massive awareness programmes. Therefore teachers and educators have a significant role in generating popular awareness on Women’s Rights.
Inequality between women and men and discrimination against women must not only be redressed through legislative measures but also by raising public awareness, in order to overcome traditional attitudes and prejudices inherited from the past. That is why human rights education plays a leading role in promoting universal respect for the rights of all – women and men. Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms (UDHR,Article 26).
The advancement of women and the achievement of equality between women and men are a matter of human rights and a condition for social justice and should not be seen in isolation as a women’s issue. They are the only way to build a sustainable, just and developed society. Empowerment of women and equality between women and men are prerequisites for achieving political, social, economic, cultural and environmental security among all peoples. Creation of an educational and social environment, in which women and men, girls and boys, are treated equally and encouraged to achieve their full potential, respecting their freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief, and where educational resources promote non-stereotyped images of women and men, would be effective in the elimination of the causes of bias against women and inequalities between women and men.

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