Equal Rights Research Articles

A ADOÇÃO POR CASAIS HOMOAFETIVOS SOB A PERSPECTIVA DO DIREITO DE FAMÍLIA

Adoption by same-sex couples, from the perspective of Family Law, represents a significant advancement in equality of rights and recognition of diverse family forms. In many countries, Family Law has evolved to include same-sex couples in the adoption process, allowing them to form families and secure rights similar to those of heterosexual couples. Historically, same-sex couples have faced legal and social barriers to adopting children. However, case law and legislation have advanced, reflecting greater acceptance and understanding of same- sex relationships. For instance, Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court has ruled favorably on adoption by samesex couples, recognizing the validity of these unions and ensuring they can legally form a family. The decision to allow adoption by same-sex couples is based on the principle that the child's best interest should prevail. The ability to provide a loving and stable environment is considered more important than the adoptive parents' sexual orientation. Studies have shown that children adopted by same-sex couples develop as healthily as those adopted by heterosexual couples. Furthermore, legal recognition of adoption by same-sex couples contributes to the protection of children’s rights, ensuring they have access to all legal and social benefits provided by law.

11.O. Scientific session: Mental Health Among Sexual and Gender Minority Populations in Diverse Structural Stigma Environments

Abstract Research conducted across numerous countries finds that sexual minority (e.g., lesbian, gay, and bisexual [LGB]) and gender minority (e.g., transgender [T]) individuals represent high-risk populations for poor mental health and suicidality. These disparities are believed to be a consequence of a stigmatizing environment and sexual and gender minority individuals’ disproportionate exposure to stigma-based stress compared to cisgender (i.e., non-transgender) heterosexuals. Stigma occurs at multiple levels to compromise LGBT individuals’ health. At the structural level, stigma manifests as unjust laws, policies, and cultural norms that deny, or fail to protect, the equal rights of LGBT individuals. At the interpersonal level, stigma manifests as discrimination in social interactions, social exclusion, and outright victimization. At the individual level, stigma can tax LGBT individuals’ coping resources by requiring costly behavioral strategies such as concealment of one’s LGBT identity. In this workshop, four studies from different regional environment with varying degree of structural stigma will be presented, i.e., the USA, Switzerland, Rwanda, and Kenya. They resent novel findings on the processes and mechanism underlying LGBT populations increased risk of mental health and links between stigma experiences at different levels. Dr. Clark will present a study of how negative news media coverage influence suicidality among LGBT young adults in the USA using intensive longitudinal assessments. Dr. Pfister will present findings from in-depth interviews concerning suicidality with individuals representing a wide variety of sexual and gender minority identities in Switzerland. Dr. van der Star will present a study exploring how structural stigma environments are linked to interpersonal and individuals level stigma experiences in sexual minorities representing different generations of LGBT populations. Dr. Stojanovski will present data from surveys and interviews of LGBT populations in Kenya and Rwanda focusing on experiences of discrimination and mental health. Key messages • Negative media reporting, discrimination, and barriers to health care can influence mental health and suicidality among LGBT individuals. • Identity concealment may represent a mechanism through which sexual minorities navigate structurally stigmatizing climates.

Проблемы в осуществлении родительских прав родителем, проживающим отдельно от несовершеннолетнего ребенка

This article discusses legal problems in the exercise of parental rights to communicate with a minor child by a conscientious and law-abiding parent living separately from the child.The relevance of the topic is justified by the weakening of the traditional institution of the family, which is characterized by a continuous increase in the number of divorced marriages and, accordingly, an increase in the number of single-parent families.The legal framework regulating the exercise of parental rights is analyzed.It examines how much the real legal status of a separated parent differs from the declared one and whether it is sufficient to carry out parental responsibilities for the upbringing and development of a minor child.It is shown that in the current legal reality, the equality of rights and responsibilities of spouses after their divorce is not respected, since the parental rights of a separately living parent are significantly limited, which ultimately leads to the actual loss of responsibility for raising the child by this parent. Keywords: Parental rights, parent, minor child, legal norms, family code, constitution, court, guardianship, separate residence, equality of rights and responsibilities, marriage, single-parent family.

Legally Blonde Male Gaze and Gender Equality

Abstract: The male gaze and equality between men and women is a problem that society is improving but still not fully solved, and it is also a hot topic that many people are concerned about. In daily life, many women feel afraid and panic more or less because of the gaze of men, and often feel that they do not enjoy the same treatment and equal rights with men in daily life. Film is a medium of emotional expression. It will reflect many realistic problems through the way of deduction, causing the audience to think and give positive guidance. From the perspective of feminism, this paper interprets the issues of male gaze, stereotype and gender equality, as well as the reflection of these issues in the real society, from the dialogue, action and plot relationship of the characters in Legally Blonde and analyzes the method and process of the heroine Elle Woods' "counter-gaze" towards the male gaze. And the process of breaking stereotypes and growing up.

“We Were Put Out of Good Jobs”: Women Night Workers in New York and the Origins of the Women’s Equal Opportunity League

Abstract In the 1910s, U.S. social reformers advocated for labor laws to protect women who worked in factories. The laws included bans on women working at night. In New York, a small contingent of night-working women who had lost their jobs objected. Arguing that the laws were paternalistic and harmful, they formed the Women’s Equal Opportunity League. The group opposed all single-sex laws and ultimately won repeal of New York’s night work ban for printers, elevator operators, and transit workers. Night work was the stage on which reformers’ ideas about the greater good conflicted with arguments for women’s autonomy. Whether and what kind of work women should do at night was a conflict about class, motherhood, and self-determination. This article profiles three leaders of the Women’s Equal Opportunity League—printer Ella M. Sherwin, transit guard Margaret Hinchey, and streetcar ticket agent Mary A. Murray. All three were devoted union members whose opposition to women-only laws made them dissidents within their unions. They remained shift workers their entire lives while lobbying state legislatures and Congress to demand formal legal equality for women. Histories of the early Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) have emphasized the support of upper- and middle-class women. These working-class women, who had long opposed protective legislation, later demanded the ERA—not in spite of the prospect that it would nullify single-sex labor laws, but because they hoped it would. Theirs was a minority position, and paying attention to it reveals the complexity of class conflict at the root of a feminist dispute which persisted long into the twentieth century.

Decentralizing Democracy: Secure and Transparent E-Voting Systems with Blockchain Technology in the Context of Palestine

Elections and voting play a crucial role in the development of a democratic society, enabling the public to express their views and participate in the decision-making process. Voting methods have evolved from paper ballot systems to e-voting systems to preserve the integrity of votes, ensuring a secure, transparent, and verifiable process. Continuous efforts have been made to develop a secure e-voting system that eliminates fraud attempts and provides accurate voting results. In this paper, we propose the architecture of a blockchain-based e-voting system called VoteChain. Developed to support the existing voting system in the state of Palestine, VoteChain aims to provide secure e-voting with features such as auditability, verifiability, accuracy, privacy, flexibility, transparency, mobility, availability, convenience, data integrity, and distribution of authority. The work introduces a smart contract designed to meet the demands of e-voting, governing transactions, monitoring computations, enforcing acceptable usage policies, and managing data usage after transmission. The proposed system also adopts advanced cryptographic techniques to enhance security. VoteChain features a web-based interface to facilitate user interaction, providing protection against multiple or double voting to ensure the integrity of the election. Furthermore, VoteChain is designed with a user-friendly and easily accessible administrator interface for managing voters, constituencies, and candidates. It ensures equal participation rights for all voters, fostering fair and healthy competition among candidates while preserving voter anonymity. A comparative analysis demonstrates VoteChain’s advancements in privacy, security, and scalability over both traditional and blockchain-based e-voting systems.

The Effect of Job Insecurity on Women’s Mental Health

Job insecurity on women’s mental health is a growing concern in these days in labour market, where economic instability. Women often experience heightened jobs insecurity due to factors like gender discrimination, caregiving responsibilities and the prevalence of part time or temporary positions. This insecurity can lead to significant psychological distress, manifesting as anxiety, depression and diminished self- esteem. The objective is to examine how job insecurity influences mental health outcomes in women, to identify the specific factors contributing to job insecurity for women. The study is based on secondary data such as books, journals, newspaper, government reports and internet etc. The main finding of the study is to increase psychological distress, organizational role to support for reduce negativity, stress and insecurity in women workplace and enhance their capability in workplace. The study suggests that increased job securities, fair wages and transparent communication regarding job expectations and security. The government should take steps for them maintain mantle health, supporting program, including counseling services and stress management workshops. They should equal rights to women in workplace to maintain women’s mental health.

The Dispute over the Geographical Application of the Svalbard Treaty: Into a New Phase, An Essay in Honor of Ted L. McDorman

Under the 1920 Treaty concerning the archipelago of Spitsbergen (Svalbard Treaty), the contracting parties recognize the full and absolute sovereignty of Norway over the archipelago. The sovereignty is to be exercised subject to the stipulations of the Treaty, which include equal rights of the contracting parties to fish and hunt on the territory of Spitsbergen and its territorial waters. Consistent with the developments of the law of the sea, Norway has claimed sovereign rights over the continental shelf and established 200 nautical miles (NM) zones off its coast, including Svalbard. Norway established a 200 NM Fisheries Protection Zone off the coast of Svalbard. Several contracting parties claim that the equal rights under the Svalbard Treaty are applicable in the maritime zones claimed or established after 1920. This is disputed by Norway by referring to the wording of the Treaty, which stipulates that it is applicable within the 12-NM territorial waters. Owners and captains of vessels flagged in other contracting parties have protested and argued that the arrest and prosecution for illegal fishing in the 200-NM zone off Svalbard violated their equal rights of fishing. The Court had not addressed the question of the applicability of the Treaty provisions until 2023. In a civil case before the Supreme Court, a Latvian shipowning company argued that the snow crab regulations on the continental shelf in the Barents Sea were void as they violated the equal rights of contracting parties under the Svalbard Treaty to fish on the continental shelf. The Supreme Court concluded that the treaty provisions were not applicable beyond the 12-NM territorial sea of the archipelago. An attempt by the same company at international litigation through investment arbitration was also unsuccessful. As the dispute issue is settled within the Norwegian legal system, the dispute enters into a new phase.

Do Experiences with Civil War Affect the Acceptance of the Use of Violence After War Ends? The Case of Post-War Nepal

ABSTRACT What are the effects of civil war violence on individual attitudes regarding the acceptability of the use of violence in politics after civil wars end? Using data from Nepal, we test several hypotheses about the relationship between the exposure to civil war violence and the acceptability of the use of violence for a variety of political goals after civil wars end (namely noble political causes, equal rights, and electoral advantage). Overall, we find that individuals more exposed to civil war violence are less likely to embrace the use of violence than the individuals who were less exposed to civil war violence.

Islam, Adat, and State: Examining the Phenomenon of Child Custody After Divorce in Padang Lawas Regency

This research is motivated by the phenomenon of childcare by fathers after divorce in Padang Lawas County. This phenomenon raises the interest of researchers to further examine child custody by fathers after divorce. The research method used is field research with a qualitative approach. Researchers collected primary data through interviews with traditional leaders and fathers caring for their children after divorce. The data obtained was then analyzed using descriptive analysis techniques, which involved collecting data through interviews and documentation and systematic data processing to describe and interpret existing phenomena. The results show that although customs in Padang Lawas County give custody to the father, it is essential to consider the provisions of the compilation of Islamic law and the broader principles of Islamic law. Child custody should focus on the best interests of the child, ensuring their physical, emotional, and mental development. Both parents have equal rights unless there are compelling reasons to the contrary, and they must work together to maintain the child's stability. Children have the right to adequate education and healthcare, as well as to maintain a good relationship with both parents, even if only one has primary custody.

Applying Virginia Held’s Ethics of Care to Resolve the Social-Cultural Problem of Violence against Women in Kurya Society

The study focused on addressing violence against women in the Kurya society of Tanzania by applying Virginia Held’s ethics of care. It explored cultural practices such as FGM, child marriage, and intimate partner violence, emphasizing their impact on women’s health and human rights. Using a phenomenological research design, the study aimed to understand the subjective experiences of individuals affected by violence against women. The expected outcomes included a better understanding of the cultural practices perpetuating violence, the development of a comprehensive approach grounded in ethics of care, and contributing to gender equality and human rights in Kurya society.

Online harassment in labor relations

The article notes that the integration of social media into our daily lives has led to the blurring of the boundaries between work and personal space and, as a result, the growth of harassment on social media. Based on various statistics and international studies, it can be argued that harassment at work, especially sexual harassment, is a complex, unresolved problem for many companies around the world, and the constant growth of remote work that began during the pandemic directly leads to an increase in complaints about aggressive actions on the Internet. The authors of the article point out that harassment on social media in the workplace does not have to be limited to traditional working hours, and the harasser can be not only a colleague, manager, or technical staff, but also a client, supplier, etc. To effectively combat harassment in the workplace, organizations must first develop a zero-tolerance policy against harassment or any other form of discrimination and cultivate a culture of empathy. However, a policy or training alone is not enough if there is no detailed and effective mechanism for reporting harassment to a manager or an authorized body at the enterprise. The article analyzes the foreign and national experience of the procedure for reporting harassment and protecting violated rights. The author concludes that since Ukrainian legislation does not define harassment and does not establish liability for such actions, employees have the opportunity to protect their rights only within the framework of the Law of Ukraine “On Ensuring Equal Rights and Opportunities for Men and Women” and the Law of Ukraine “On Principles of Prevention and Combating Discrimination in Ukraine”. Therefore, the issue of supplementing national legislation with such a term as harassment, defining its possible forms and establishing liability, as was done, for example, with regard to mobbing, is now an urgent one.

Das Frauenbild im Sozialismus. Eine exemplarische Untersuchung der Tageszeitung der rumäniendeutschen Minderheit Neuer Weg (1950)

Abstract This study focuses on the image of women in socialist society, as it appears in several articles on International Women’s Day in the Romanian-German newspaper Neuer Weg in the 1950s. The political authorities of the time would use Women’s Day to draw attention not only to problems specific to women, such as the protection of mother and child, women in the family and at work, but also to discuss political issues such as equal rights for women, universal, equal, secret and direct women’s suffrage and securing peace. The author takes the standpoint of sociolinguistics and pragmalinguistics in analysing and evaluating the linguistic data, whereby the language material points out particularities on a lexical, morpho-syntactic and pragmatic level.

Debunking Patriarchy: A Feminist Critique of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Charlotte Bronte (1816-1855), a renowned Victorian woman writer, is best known for the novel Jane Eyre (1847), which portrays the struggles of the protagonist Jane Eyre for becoming a successful and self -reliant woman in a male dominated society. In this novel, the writer focuses on class conflict, women’s identity crisis and inequality of sexes, and thus tries to establish equal rights for both male and female by portraying the brave character Jane Eyre who is not like other traditional women of Victorian age because she has tried to be a successful woman in life fighting with her ill fate and social taboos of patriarchal society throughout her journey of life. This paper, using feminist lens, tries to explore the obstacles of women to become successful and self-reliant in a male dominated society by focusing on Charlotte Bronte’s female protagonist Jane Eyre who, as we know, is the representative of Victorian women.

Organization of remote work: Ukrainian legislation and standards of the European Union

The article explores remote work in Ukraine and its alignment with European Union (EU) standards. It analyses the Ukrainian Labour Code and the 2002 EU Framework Agreement on Telework. It is emphasized reveals both similarities and differences between the two documents. Both emphasize the voluntary nature of telework, ensuring equal rights and protections for remote workers as those on-site. They prioritize health, safety, privacy, and confidentiality, mandating employers to provide necessary equipment and maintain safe working conditions. The author emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between the concepts of “remote work” and “home-based work”. It is established that the term “remote work” differs from “telework” in its international understanding and encompasses a broader scope than home-based work. However, a comparison between the definitions of telework provided in the European Framework Agreement on Telework of 2002 and remote work as outlined in the Ukrainian Labour Code concludes their synonymity. Other differences have also been scrutinized in the article: Ukraine allows employees combine remote work with office work (hybrid work), while the EU doesn’t address this yet. Ukraine also guarantees the right to disconnect, allowing remote workers to switch off after work. The EU is working on updates to cover these areas and create a more consistent approach across member States: This might include the right to disconnect, equal treatment for remote workers, and clearer rules for hybrid work. It was concluded that both regions need further development: Ukraine needs to address remote work abroad and data security, while the EU needs to modernize its framework.

Legalization of LGBT Marriage: Case Study from Vietnam

LGBT marriage is a legal union between two individuals of the same sex, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. This type of marriage recognizes the equal rights of all people to marry regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. In Vietnam, the legal status of LGBT marriage has been the subject of considerable discussion and debate. Although the country has made significant strides in improving the rights of LGBT people, there is still a lack of official legal recognition for same-sex marriage. To date, same-sex marriage has not been explicitly legalized nor fully protected under Vietnamese law. This means that although same-sex marriages are not criminalized, and people have their free will to live together and hold ceremonies, yet these marriages do not hold the same legal status and rights as compared to heterosexual marriages. Vietnam has a strong cultural background and conservative beliefs; these play a crucial role in society in respect to the views within it when it comes to LGBT individuals. Society is becoming more tolerant; however, the LGBT community members are still judged with a high rate of discrimination. Although acceptance still significantly varies between regions and different age groups, public opinion is indeed softening, especially among the young. Due to the legal recognition, LGBT marriages provided them with equal legal rights and responsibilities concerning property, inheritance, adoption, and healthcare, just like heterosexual couples. On the other hand, this also can be regarded as another critical step to social inclusion and the fight against discrimination. This research will discuss the current situation of same-sex marriage in contemporary Vietnam with the aim of completing the picture of the LGBT community. The research study will also interview 22 LGBT individuals and a survey of close to 200 participants.

Are ‘coercive’ language policies fair?

AbstractThis paper provides a normative justification regarding the fairness of ‘coercively’ protecting minority languages in mixed societies where the minority group already knows the majority language. To do so, it adopts first a theory‐testing approach and examines, by using the Catalan case, the validity of the arguments presented in Morales‐Gálvez's (2017) ‘protectionist’ theory of linguistic justice. In this vein, it argues that some of the ideas this author uses to defend the ‘coercive’ protection of minority languages still work when the minority group is bilingual. Yet, there are others that appear to be problematic. As such, this paper then unfolds using a theory‐building approach and reframes these concepts with the objective of proposing complementary arguments. This article concludes that ‘coercive’ policies to protect the language of a bilingualised minority group are fair and necessary if they aim to accomplish active reciprocal bilingualism and hence ensure equal rights for all speakers.

PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS: INCLUSION OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN NORTH MACEDONIA

North Macedonia’s accession negotiations are conditioned by the country’s progress on fulfilling the Copenhagen criteria. Respect for human rights, defined as one of the founding values of European Union, it is associated with the fundamental political criteria for full membership for every candidate state. In the Progress Report for 2022, European Commission raised the concerns that North Macedonia had made “limited progress in improving the rights of persons with disabilities”. Considering that the country since its independence ratified several international treaties on human rights and assumed obligation not only to guarantee but also to protect the fundamental human rights, in this paper will be analyzed: the national legal framework on the protection of the fundamental rights of persons with disabilities, national strategies on the rights of persons with disabilities, and national policies on the integration of persons with disabilities. The purpose of this study it is to analyze the responsibilities and commitment of the state authorities in providing equal rights and opportunities for persons with disabilities, especially focusing on the access of women with disability to the labor market and access of children and young people with disability to education. The research it is in-depth analysis and guided by two research questions: What are the responsibilities of North Macedonia as a candidate country in promoting and enforcing the rights of persons with disabilities? What have done North Macedonia for social inclusion of persons with disabilities.

Realizing An Inclusive Policy For Persons with Disabilities in Indonesia Through The Art of Expressionism Gesture Photography

Inclusiveness of people with disabilities is a global issue related to equal rights and opportunities for active participation. The art of gesture photography is a medium to realize this. So, how to make it happen? Using descriptive qualitative research methods and an ethnographic approach, as well as the implementation model of Van Meter and Van Horn as the basis for data analysis. The results of the research show that there is quite a lot of potential for photography artists with disabilities in Indonesia, the absence of a specific policy has resulted in less than optimal implementation. The mistake of forming the KND, which was non-structural and independent, was to make it part of the Ministry of Social Affairs. The government needs to involve people with disabilities in making policies and not only focus disability issues on social issues, but more broadly on human rights issues.

The use of community-engagement approaches to identify strategies for increasing workplace well-being among LGBTQ+ adults

BackgroundLGBTQ+ individuals often face social stigma and workplace discrimination, negatively impacting their well-being. However, limited research exists on the factors and strategies that enhance their positive workplace experiences. This study was a sequential qualitative mixed-method design conducted in three phases. The study had the following objectives: identifying factors associated with workplace well-being, generating strategies for improving workplace well-being, and obtaining feedback on the identified strategies' acceptability. MethodsIn Phase 1, in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 LGBTQ+ who described factors that improved their satisfaction at work. In Phase 2, two focus group discussions were held with 13 participants, including LGBTQ+ adults, scholars in positive psychology, human resource development, and civil rights advocates, to develop strategies for improving workplace well-being based on Phase 1 data. In Phase 3, a survey was sent to a subset of the focus group participants (N = 7) to ascertain the acceptability of the developed strategies. Data analysis was performed using deductive and inductive approaches. ResultsThe study's first phase identified the factors contributing to workplace well-being. These factors were categorized into intrapersonal, interpersonal, and social-ecological. In the second phase and third phase, 11 strategies were developed to improve workplace well-being. These strategies were divided into two sections. The first section includes strategies organizations and agencies can implement to promote employee well-being (such as emphasizing diversity and equity as core values). The second section outlines strategies for government and civil society sectors (such as establishing laws addressing LGBTQ+ equal rights). The Index of Congruence (IOC) assessed the relationship between strategies and workplace well-being improvement. Results showed IOC values from 0.8 to 1 for 11 strategies, indicating high content validity. ConclusionsStrategies to enhance LGBTQ+ workplace well-being were identified through community engagement, but further research is needed for implementation and evaluation.