The Condition of Women: Where Are We Now?

Throughout history, women have been objects of contempt and subjected to discrimination. Women’s struggle for equality, justice, and human rights has come a long way. Though this struggle has been fruitful in some parts of the world, there are still many countries in which governments continue to institutionalize gender apartheid.  Today it has become banal to merely note the historic prejudice against women; it is, to be sure, humanity’s oldest bias. Governments, religious institutions, and culture have all been recognized as perpetrators, and their actions have provided ample barriers to the advancement of women in almost every human exercise. 

 

A quick look at the current condition of women around the globe will reveal that at one end of the spectrum there are countries where appropriate measures are taken to ensure a relatively high degree of equality between women and men. On the other end, we see   countries in which basic rights of women are deliberately denied and prejudice against them is systematically promoted. Nevertheless, no matter where our point of focus is, apparent violence toward and discrimination against women manifest themselves in different forms across continents. 

 

For instance, Sweden’s approach toward establishing equality for men and women and enforcement of this goal by its Parliament has nearly equalized the gender role on almost all levels. This has put Sweden at the top rank among countries with the highest number of women holding public office, serving as cabinet ministers, graduating from universities and being employed. Seventy percent of Swedish women are employed and Sweden’s Government, Parliament, City Councils, and Municipalities have achieved 40 to 50 percent of representation by women. Yet, a shocking 2005 report by Amnesty International shed light on the unspoken domestic violence against women in Sweden, an issue that the Swedish government was more inclined to ignore than to address in order to protect its women from violence. 

 

Although North America and, in particular, Canada are viewed as a place where women have equal rights and status, the gender-wage gap is still a prevalent concern and violence against women is still rampant. According to Statistics Canada, the average annual earnings of employed women are still substantially lower than those of men. Furthermore, women make up a disproportionate share of the population with low incomes. The situation becomes worse for immigrant, minority, and Aboriginal women. Statistics Canada also states that even though, on average, women from visible minority groups are better educated than other Canadian women, they are less likely to be employed. Therefore, in Canada women are subjected to discrimination both on gender and ethnic grounds.

 

The issue of violence against women in Canada is also one that requires attention. According to the United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, violence is defined as any act of gender-base violence that results in, or is likely to result in physical, sexual, or psychological harm or suffering to women including threats of such acts, coercion, or deprivation of liberty, whether in a woman’s public or private life. In Canada, violence against women, especially in indigenous and immigrant communities, is widespread. Violence has a profound impact on women’s mental and physical health, which in turn affects social and economic equality; hence it is one of the most persistent obstacles to the achievement of equality, development, and wellbeing of women in Canada and North America.

 

To this day, women are considered second class citizens in countries such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Pakistan, and many of other countries. For instance, the government’s attitude towards and its discriminatory laws against women in the areas of divorce, child custody, witness testimony, inheritance, dress code, right to higher education, right to participation in sports, and right to travel has made Iran one of the most misogynistic governments in the world. The Sharia-based laws in Iran are used as instruments to humiliate and subordinate women. Women in Iran have very limited access to divorce procedures.

 

According to family law, there are only a limited number of reasons that provide the grounds for women to file for divorce. Moreover, the final decision is made by a judicial cleric who decides whether a woman is permitted to get out of her marriage contract. In most cases, unless child custody is voluntarily given up by a husband, the wife’s emotional attachment to her children is used to blackmail her into either remaining in an undesirable marriage or giving up her financial rights that were included in her marriage contract. The same laws are relaxed for men on many grounds; a man can easily get away with murdering his wife should he accuse her of having an extra marital affair. Iran’s police and court system turn a blind eye to women’s complaints about abusive husbands and male relatives.

 

As social conditions for women in Iran continue to deteriorate, the struggle for women and their human rights intensifies both inside and outside the border. This struggle has manifested itself in women’s rights activism such as the Campaign for One Million Signatures Demanding Change. The growth of women participation in higher education and in the work force in Iran is another indication that women are determined to stay in the public spotlight rather than limiting themselves to the traditional role of home-making. More than 50 percent of university students in Iran are female. However, the Iranian government has established quotas to limit the number of female students entering universities. The newly appointed Minister of Education, Ali-Reza Ali-Ahmadi in one of his first news conferences in 2008, stated that the education system should base its policies and decisions on the differences between the genders. Given what gender differences have meant in the Islamic Republic of Iran, the statement by the Minister of Education can only translate into more misogyny and injustice for women.

 

In countries at war like Iraq and Afghanistan, violence and intimidation of women is significantly higher than in other places. Reports onthe bodies of women who were raped, brutally killed, and left on the streets of Basra, Baghdad, and other Iraqi cities reflect a shameful reality. The high probability of girls becoming targets by extremists has thrown Iraqi familiesintoa state of intense fear for sending their unveiled daughters to universities or workplaces.

 

In Afghanistan, although the post-Taliban Constitution speaks of equality for men and women, in reality, not much has changed. Still today, more than 50 percent of girls under 16 years of age are forced into marriage. Female Afghan parliamentarians experience constant harassment and threat. No improvement toward the elimination of domestic violence has been made. Iraqi and Afghan women who do not conform to conservative ideals are paying a high price with their lives. Schools for girls are targeted by armed extremists. Study shows that women are most vulnerable in conflict zones and war-torn countries; thus, conflict and instability in Iraq and Afghanistan has not only de-prioritized issues related to women, but has also worsened their conditions.  

 

The worsening of the condition of women around the globe requires earnest and conscientious international efforts to promote and enforce justice and equality for women. Governments and international institutions must facilitate communication, collaboration, education, and necessary funding toward this urgent issue. Otherwise, in a world where women’s rights and freedom are scarce, democracy and human rights become no more than fancy words on paper.