Women's Rights

 Women's Rights

Women's rights are the fundamental human rights that belong to every woman, regardless of her race, nationality, religion, or social status. These rights are essential for achieving gender equality and empowering women in all aspects of life.

Some of the most important women's rights include:

The right to education: Every girl and woman has the right to access quality education.

The right to work and equal pay: Women have the right to work in any profession and receive equal pay for equal work.

The right to vote and participate in politics: Women have the right to vote, run for office, and take part in decision-making processes.

The right to live free from violence: Women have the right to be protected from domestic violence, sexual harassment, and all forms of abuse.

The right to health and reproductive freedom: Women have the right to access healthcare services and make decisions about their own bodies.

Women's rights are protected under international laws such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

Despite progress, many women around the world still face discrimination, inequality, and violence. Promoting and protecting women's rights is essential for building a fair, just, and peaceful society.

Women's Rights – Key Points

✅ Right to Equality

Women have the right to be treated equally in all areas of life, including work, education, and law.

📚 Right to Education

Every girl and woman has the right to access quality education without discrimination.

💼 Right to Work and Equal Pay

Women have the right to work in any field and must receive equal pay for equal work.

🗳️ Right to Vote and Participate in Politics

Women have the right to vote, run for office, and be involved in political decision-making.

🛡️ Right to Live Free from Violence

Women must be protected from domestic violence, sexual harassment, and all forms of abuse.

❤️ Right to Health and Reproductive Choices

Women have the right to access healthcare and make decisions about their own bodies.

👩‍⚖️ Right to Legal Protection

Women should have equal access to justice and legal support when their rights are violated.

🌍 International Protection

Women’s rights are supported by global agreements like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and CEDAW.

⚠️ Ongoing Challenges

Many women still face discrimination and inequality, especially in developing regions.

✊ Empowerment is Key

Promoting women's rights helps build a fairer, stronger, and more peaceful society.

Violations of Women's Rights

Violations of women's rights refer to the systematic or individual denial of basic human rights to women. These violations occur in various forms around the world. Below are the most common examples of women's rights violations:

Major Violations of Women's Rights

Denial of the Right to Education:

In some regions, girls are prevented from attending school or families prioritize boys’ education over girls’.

Child Marriage:

The forced marriage of underage girls deprives them of education, health, and personal freedom, and leads to physical and psychological harm.

Domestic Violence:

Physical, psychological, economic, or sexual abuse within the home violates women’s right to live in safety.

Sexual Harassment and Rape:

Sexual violence against women creates personal trauma and endangers women’s security in society.

Discrimination in the Workplace:

Women may receive lower wages for the same work, have fewer promotion opportunities, or face discrimination in hiring processes.

Restrictions on Political Representation:

In some countries, women are denied the right to vote, run for office, or hold political positions.

Control Over Women’s Dress and Behavior:

Pressuring women on how to dress or behave violates their individual freedoms and autonomy.

Limited Access to Healthcare Services:

Restrictions on access to health services, especially reproductive health, violate women’s rights over their own bodies.

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM):

Practiced in some traditional societies, FGM causes serious physical and psychological harm to women and girls.

Violations Faced by Migrant and Refugee Women:

Women affected by war, displacement, or forced migration face increased risks of trafficking, sexual exploitation, and other abuses.

Concrete Examples of Women's Rights Violations by Country

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

Women's Rights Violations in Afghanistan After the 2001 U.S. and NATO Intervention

Following the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001 and the subsequent NATO involvement, the international community emphasized women's rights as a key area for rebuilding Afghan society. While there were initial improvements in women’s access to education, healthcare, and political participation, numerous violations and systemic challenges persisted throughout the two-decade presence of foreign forces.

⚠️ Key Violations and Issues

Selective and Urban-Centered Progress

Most advancements were limited to major cities like Kabul and Herat.

Rural areas remained under the influence of tribal law or Taliban control, where girls’ schools were often closed or attacked.

Violence Against Women Continued

Domestic violence, forced marriage, honor killings, and sexual abuse remained widespread.

Legal enforcement of women's protection laws was weak and inconsistent.

Corruption and Failure of the Justice System

Women reporting abuse were often imprisoned for “moral crimes” such as fleeing forced marriages or being raped.

Victims rarely saw justice due to corrupt police and courts.

Female Participation Was Superficial in Many Cases

Quotas were introduced for women in parliament and government, but many faced harassment, threats, and lacked real power.

Women in public roles were assassinated or intimidated into silence.

Sexual Exploitation by Allied Forces or Contractors

Some reports revealed cases of abuse or exploitation of Afghan women and girls by foreign contractors or Afghan forces under NATO training.

The presence of international troops did not always guarantee protection from abuse.

Security Failures Undermined Rights

Rising insecurity from Taliban insurgency made it dangerous for girls to attend school or for women to work.

Many NGOs and women's centers had to shut down due to targeted attacks.

Dependency on Foreign Aid

Most women-focused programs were donor-driven and collapsed once funding ceased or foreign troops began withdrawing.

There was a lack of long-term, locally sustainable systems to protect women’s rights.

 

Although the international presence after 2001 opened some spaces for Afghan women, these gains were fragile, uneven, and unsustainable. With the withdrawal of NATO and U.S. forces in 2021 and the Taliban’s return, the situation for Afghan women deteriorated rapidly, revealing that many rights had been only temporarily protected by foreign power, not rooted in stable Afghan institutions.

And:

Under Taliban rule, women have been completely banned from secondary and higher education.

Employment opportunities for women are severely restricted or nonexistent.

Women are not allowed to travel without a male guardian; wearing the burqa is mandatory.

Female protesters and human rights activists have been arbitrarily detained or have disappeared.

🇮🇶 Iraq

During the Iraq War and its aftermath, many women were subjected to systematic rape and sexual violence.

ISIS forces abducted and enslaved thousands of Yazidi women, using them as sex slaves.

Widows and displaced women face poverty and social marginalization without legal protection.

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

During the 1992–1995 Bosnian War, an estimated 20,000–50,000 women, mostly Bosniak Muslims, were victims of wartime rape.

Rape was used systematically as a weapon of ethnic cleansing.

Survivors often faced stigma and lacked psychological support or legal justice.

 Syria

Women have faced sexual violence by both regime forces and opposition armed groups throughout the conflict.

In detention centers, reports of rape and torture of women are widespread.

Refugee women are vulnerable to sexual exploitation in camps and host countries.

🇵🇸 Palestine / Gaza

Israeli airstrikes have disproportionately killed women and children in Gaza.

Due to the blockade, pregnant women and those needing urgent medical care cannot access hospitals.

Women suffer from trauma, displacement, and lack of basic rights in conflict zones.

 East Turkestan (Xinjiang, China)

Uyghur women are subjected to forced sterilization and birth control as part of a population control campaign.

Testimonies from former detainees report sexual abuse and rape in so-called “re-education” camps.

Traditional dress and headscarves are banned, and women are surveilled for religious or cultural expression.

 Southern Turkestan (Northern Afghanistan –Balkh, Faryab, Jowzjan, etc.)

Uzbek and Turkmen women are denied access to education and face language-based discrimination.

They are excluded from political and public life due to ethnic and gender-based repression.

Many suffer from double marginalization — for being both women and ethnic minorities under Afghan control.

Assoc. Prof. Izzetullah ZEKI (Ezatullah Zaki)