History of the Human Rights: Gender Perspectives

Abstract

Every human being has certain rights to live with dignity and peace and should not be discriminated. However, history of human civilization tells us there have been discrimination on many counts. Otherwise, there won’t have been words like slavery, untouchability, exploitation, patriarchy existing. Women are no exception to discrimination and exploitation. Human rights of women have been violated, they have been deprived of their respect, economic, social and political status and the basic principle of equality (equality with her counterpart, i.e., men). The question of human rights becomes very pertinent when it comes to gender and gender justice. This has given birth to feminist movements. The author here wishes to testify the march of the human rights of women, the journey and the progress made after struggle by all the feminist movements and more importantly the economic and social status of women in the present era. The author has tried to show how the matriarchy in early development of civilization was demolished and how there was a downfall of women after advancement of patriarchy through the personification of power by men inside and outside of the family. In fact, the notions of property and inheritance put an end to the foundations of matriarchy and consequently they were converted to objects belonging to the father, the husband and the family. The author could also find several other reasons, old customs in the patriarchal society for their exploitation and violation of their human rights. Further the role of U.N. and its organs was very vital and important as the problems of women were considered in their social aspect from time to time. Today we find women in all fields of national life: engineers, doctors, pilot, professors, diplomats, artists who have won gold medals in sports, etc. But it took a very long time to finally see women acceding to highest posts in the Parliament. March of human rights of women is progressing constantly as efforts have been made but a lot needs to be done as discriminations, inequalities, injustice and harassment of all kinds will not disappear overnight.