PERSPECTIVES ON GENDER, HEALTH, AND HUMAN RIGHTS
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Human rights and cedaw

1/23/2020

11 Comments

 
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How is one's gender identity as self-defined, a health and human rights issue? 
One’s gender identity is a health and human rights issue because it can cause violence and discrimination. It can also affect and put lives in danger and at risk of abuse when it comes to things like “their ability to stay safe, work environment, healthcare, education, starting families, and many other aspects of their lives that can be jeopardized” (amnesty usa, n.d).  There are also many hate crimes that happen because of someone being “gay” or because of someone who does not identify as the “right” gender. In Seattle, the LGBTQ is one out of two communities that is highly targeted. According to the Seattle Times, 72 hate crimes had been reported in 2015. If everyone has equal rights, why do those who identify as what they prefer still get discriminated? They are still human, still deserve to have the ability to have rights, and to be respected.

What is the perspective of a universalist and cultural relativist? and what is CEDAW and how does it relate to human rights?
CEDAW is short for the convention on the elimination of all form of discrimination against women. Being a universalist is defined as someone who accepts every single human being no matter what background they come from or what gender they identify with, and still believing that that person still has the same equal rights according to the universal declaration of human rights and CEDAW. Those who have the perspective of a cultural relativist tend to be an individual who judges or assumes what they think of another person or culture based on their own values and beliefs. Those who come from a background where they only think their views or norms are the “right way” in specific practices may not agree to those who do so differently, this becomes an issue for women who are in families or who come from a culture that may be strict on change or how they think women should be treated. The point of CEDAW is to protect women and their rights, and I think an important detail to mention is that the United States has not ratified CEDAW (feminist majority, 2014), I was surprised to learn that the United States has not ratified the bill because the U.S is looked at as this country where we are all made equal and the land of the free, and I think that by not going through with CEDAW contradicts everything the U.S is supposed to stand for.
Aren't women's rights, human rights? 







​Guy, Gene Balk / FYI. “Hate Crime Reports against Blacks, LGBT People Double in Seattle.”
The Seattle Times, The Seattle Times Company, 24 June 2016, www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/data/hate-crimes-against-blacks-lgbt-people-double-in-seattle/.


“AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL USA STORE.” Amnesty International USA, shop.amnestyusa.org/

“Women's Rights Are Human Rights.” OHCHR, 2014, www.ohchr.org/Documents/Events/WHRD/WomenRightsAreHR.pdf.


Blog by: AnnaMarie A.
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11 Comments
Mariam Elias
1/24/2020 12:19:47 am

Thank you for you blog. I totally agree with what you said about how gender identity can cause violence and discrimination. One of my friends is gay and he was suffering from people who always make fun of him at his job, because he is gay. He used to cry a lot at work and got very depressed, because of how people bully him and always judge him. He finally overcame this and got married to the love of his life, and became much happier and confident. I wish people could understand that any word they say out of their mouth, can destroy another person's life completely and affect it negatively.

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Muhhamed Muhhamed
1/24/2020 12:56:10 am

Thank you for your post. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about it. Violence and discrimination are some of the ways that gender identity could ruin someone. Gay people are always discriminated against and it truly isn’t fair. We should all be able to express our feelings. Great post

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Samantha Sinclair
1/24/2020 11:34:41 am

I was also very surprised that the U.S. did not ratify the CEDAW. I remember reading that one of the reasons the White House did not agree to be a part of it was because it did not align with our government! CEDAW is recognized by other countries, but most Americans have no idea what it is or what it means. It feels like we are living a lie. How can we portray to be a country that values gender equality but refuse to join a convention that aims to destroy discrimination against women.

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Jordan Tomas
1/24/2020 12:05:53 pm

Thanks for the post! It is interesting how universalists and cultural relativists clash with one another and how important this clash is in our society. People grew up from different parts of the world and their views on equality and equity are different to the point that some view certain cultures/ethnicity strictly based on their own views and are not able to be open minded enough to be in the shoes of those who live and breathe through those cultures/ethnicity. It does appear ironic how the United States holds their beliefs on their sleeve in that all men are created equal, but have had decades and even a few centuries in which society has not treated certain ethnic/racial groups equally or fairly.

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Lena Angelica Camacho
1/24/2020 12:56:53 pm

Really enjoyed your post overall and it's crazy to me to think that people can target and do hate crimes against someone just because they identity with a different gender. I see it as let people do what they want and what makes them happy especially if it's not affecting or harming you in any way. There just needs to be a lot more love in our society overall.

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Megan Pintok
1/25/2020 01:30:14 pm

Hi Annamarie,
Thank you for your blog post. I appreciate you emphasizing the issues of discrimination and violence. I agree that despite a persons social status or beliefs, it is important to recognize that they are human just like anybody else and deserve equal opportunities and rights. I also agree that CEDAW's purpose is to fight and protect women against discrimination. As well as acknowledging that women's rights are human rights!

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Stephanie Cruz link
1/25/2020 03:49:48 pm

Hi Annamarie,

I really liked that your pointed out that the United States has not ratified CEDAW. I also liked that you ended it off by asking/stating "aren't women's rights human rights?" Women's rights are human rights and we all deserve that equal opportunity as the person next to us no matter of the gender, color of skin, and or class.

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Darlina Souvatdy
1/26/2020 05:05:12 pm

Hi Annamarie,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on gender identity and how it relates to health and human rights. I had a similar response to this topic and focused on discriminate because it happens more than we think. Thanks for connecting it to violence because women are susceptible to violence more than men. I believe she spoke about this in module one of the course. But yes, there are many forms of discriminate, all of which shouldn't be allowed because we're all just human.

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Jennyna Golveo
1/29/2020 03:47:22 pm

Hi Annamarie,
I agree with you on the whole violence towards women thing. It's crazy to think about because some cultures keep violence towards women silent because of their genders. I was recently in Spain studying abroad and attended an organization meeting of women who are protesting for domestic violence victims. Women don't report their situations because of their gender role in society. They are inferior because men are the head of the household.

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TJ Kapil
2/23/2020 10:43:36 am

Hi AnnaMarie, I agree with you on violence against LGBTQ people. Everyone has a right to be happy, and therefore also have the right to be respected. It saddens me that LGBTQ people are targeted because they are not hurting anyone, if fact I think they are only spreading more love.

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Raiye Abunie
3/7/2020 08:27:51 pm

Hello AnnaMarie,

After reading your powerful and well articulated blog I began recollecting any previous experience I may have witnessed a coworker targeted due to their identity. It's as though equality still does not exist within gender roles and discrimination is still a global issue. Violence against the LGBTQ community and people should be eliminated. After all, we need to understand that they are individuals just like each and every one of us.

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