True Gender Equality for Both Women and Men

Joseph Chamie is a former Director of the United Nations Population Division.By Joseph ChamieUNITED NATIONS, Nov 20 2014 (IPS)Numerous international and national efforts have focused on gender equality and the empowerment of women. The United Nations, for example, has convened four world conferences on women – Beijing in 1995, Nairobi in 1985, Copenhagen in 1980 and Mexico City in 1975 – and Member States have adopted various international agreements, such as the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).Achieving true gender equality, however, requires resolving the many inequities, discriminations and barriers that are encountered by both women and men. Concentrating attention, policies and programmes on the inequalities, biases and obstacles confronting women, while largely ignoring those of men is an unproductive and limited strategy for attaining true gender equality.In hazardous jobs, such as mining, logging, fishing, iron and steel work, men are the overwhelming majority of workers. Consequently, men are far more likely to suffer a fatal injury or work-related disability than women.It is important to acknowledge at the very outset that women’s rights and men’s rights are human rights. According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and are entitled to life, liberty and security of person.More...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: Global & Universal Authors: Tags: Civil Society Crime & Justice Democracy Development & Aid Economy & Trade Education Featured Gender Gender Identity Gender Violence Global Global Geopolitics Global Governance Globalisation Headlines Health Human Rights I Source Type: news