Women's Human Rights Resources Database

This paper discusses that the discourse of sexuality and sexual autonomy is often promoted to a lesser extent than other human rights in armed conflict situations due to its contested and “controversial” nature. This paper investigates the complex sexual choices of widows and sex workers in Sri Lanka in the context of militarisation, war, and ethnic conflict. Due to the increased prevalence of sexual violence, harassment, and importance of sexual chastity of Sri Lankan women negotiating bodily integrity and sexual autonomy during periods of war is critical. The article highlights that particularly widows and sex workers that have the responsibility of maintaining the household negotiated self-determination in spite of the pressure faced on them by the community. The article ends with solidifying the importance of advocating for sexual autonomy with the same fervor as other human rights to secure this right during and post-armed conflict 

This article begins by noting that the elimination of multiple obstacles to equal rights for women embodied in private economic and social relations is a significant accomplishment of human rights protection in Europe. The author notes that the process of eliminating gender discrimination is not easy since governments are obliged not to interfere with freedom but, on the other hand, are obliged to interfere to reduce inequalities between men and women. This article describes and analyzes current European approaches to human rights relating to reproduction to demonstrate the accomplishments, controversies and unresolved problems in attempting to balance freedom and equality. The article notes that existing safeguards for individual choice need to be broadened geographically, specifically to Eastern Europe. [Descriptors: Reproductive Rights - Overview, International - Europe]

This article introduces the global disparity of access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and its impact on women and girls. It emphasizes barriers to women’s access to ICTs and the problem of cyberviolence against women and girls. It argues that although such violence might not be framed as a classic human rights issue since it is usually perpetrated by private actors, human rights discourse is needed to provide remedies because the violence is grounded in discrimination. The author proposes the collection of sex-disaggregated data and the support at the policy level as an immediate approach, and the creation of a “Feminist Internet” as a future direction in amplifying women’s voices.

Young women in Cambodia still face challenges in accessing higher education. The enrollment of female students at universities is increasing as more people understand the value of education and support their daughters to access higher education. However, the number of female students is still lower than the number of male students in higher education or university because of the following three main factors: institutional mechanisms, the legal framework, and economic, social and cultural issues as Cambodian people remain in their old, traditional ways when it comes to concept of women. This article explores the opportunities that have been provided to young women to pursue higher education, particularly at the university level, and provides some recommendations for addressing the challenges women face in accessing higher education in Cambodia, such as scholarships, dormitories, stipends, convenient infrastructure and strengthening and implementing relevant laws.

This article examines the case of Mme M, whose application for French nationality was rejected on the basis of her choice to wear a niqab and long cloak. She was informed that the rejection of her claim was based on her conduct being indicative of a radical religious practice, incompatible with essential French values including equality of the sexes. The author argues that liberal secular feminism and official French state ideology converge to promote anti-Muslim political agendas, while, at the same time, helping to solidify an illusion that Western French women have achieved equality. Anastasia Vakulenko, Gender Equality as an Essential French Value: The Case of Mme M (2009) 9:1 Oxford Human Rights Law Review 143.

This article calls for the current US administration to make the elimination of restrictions on women’s economic participation a priority. The author highlights the prevalence of barriers preventing women from entering the work force around the world, in both developed and developing countries. She argues that not only would greater female economic participation further gender equality but it would also boost countries’ GDPs and drive growth. The author references India and Ethiopia as two countries that have worked to eliminate some of these barriers and the positive societal changes these efforts have had, but also notes that in some countries, such as Saudi Arabia, improvement is slow and more work is needed.

While this article is specific to Malawi, the research has broader implications for women's experiences with HIV/AIDS, poverty, and discrimination on an international level. The author uses the findings of a study by Women and Law In Southern Africa Research and Educational Trust Malawi (WLSA-Malawi) to ground her argument that extreme poverty drives women to engage in high-risk behavior that infringes on women's right to life. The article highlights a rights-based approach in the context of men's and women's participation and accountability in situations where social and economic factors make women vulnerable to HIV transmission. The author concludes with an outline of nine issues that need urgent attention from the political-administrative judicial system in order to implement a rights-based approach.