Introduction The universality and indivisibility of womens human rights and the norm of equality and non-discrimination as set

out in international human rights standards provide the basis for identifying those practices which can be described as both harmful and contributing to hindering the rights and the development of Women. When we talk about religious and traditional practices, we must not divorce it from culture. Culture is at a rudimentary level the social behavior of people in lines with customs and accepted practices. Most of these customs constitutes a part of what we call law today. But there are some like the female feticide, which though being a custom is not included in the law and in most countries is illegal, is still practiced. The aim of this committee in this agenda is make countries identify the various practices which have been hindering the rights the women in their country and come together to help curb these practices and help in the rights and development of women. Historical Background: Many times development of women is inhibited by the gender roles they are supposed to carry out. For example, a women is supposed to be the one responsible for the domestic activities of the house like making food and taking care of children, while the man is considered to not care about any of these and be the breadwinner of the family. Even if the women were to work, she would be doing a more non-physical exertion required jobs, like being a receptionist or holding banking or accounting jobs. It is uncommon to find a women working in a factory or for that matter any blue-collar job. This is due to the unwritten gender code that is followed. These are practices followed both by prospective employers and in boardrooms. Employers, think twice before employing a women to the role which requires physical work or leadership positions as they feel women can not handle these by virtue of them just being women. Even in companies which take pride in saying that they have a high number of women employees, if we see the level at which these women are placed, it will mostly be at the middle or lower management, and very few at the senior management level due to the perceived notions of gender roles. Today, slowly there barriers seem to be crumbling, but it will take a long time before they are completely destroyed and women and men are on equal footing. We cannot talk about traditional and cultural practices hindering the development of women, without talking about violence meted out to women in the name of culture, which is, both endorsed by religious heads and action is not taken legally While some cultural norms and practices empower women and promote womens human rights, customs, traditions and religious values are also often used to justify violence against women. Certain cultural norms have long been cited as causal factors for violence against women, including the beliefs associated with harmful traditional practices (such as female genital mutilation/cutting, child marriage and son preference), crimes committed in the name of honour, discriminatory criminal punishments imposed under religiously based laws, and restrictions on womens rights in marriage. However, the cultural bases of

other forms of violence against women have not been adequately examined, at least in part because of narrow conceptions of what constitutes culture. The values, practices and power relations that are interwoven into the daily lives of individuals and their communities form culture. Social behavior is mediated by culture in all societies and culture affects most manifestations of violence everywhere. But the particular relationship between culture and violence against women can only be clarified in specific historical and geographic contexts specific to different regions around the world. Determinations of what needs to be preserved change over time, as, for example, when male leaders willingly accept technology that massively affects culture, but resist changes in womens status, reflecting a tendency to treat women as the repositories of cultural identity. Women are also actors in constituting culture: they influence and build the cultures around them, changing them as they resist, and reinforcing and recreating them as they conform. Key aspects of womens individual identities are interwoven with their cultural communities and their participation in cultural customs and practices. Women not only suffer from negative aspects of the cultures in which they live, they also benefit from and are supported by positive cultural values and practices within their communities. Cultural justifications for restricting womens human rights have been asserted by some States and by social groups within many countries claiming to defend cultural tradition. Political leaders or traditional authorities generally voice these defenses, not by those whose rights are actually affected. Cultural relativist arguments have been advanced in national contexts and in international debates when laws and practices that curtail womens human rights have been challenged. The politicization of culture in the form of religious fundamentalisms in diverse geographic and religious contexts has become a serious challenge to efforts to secure womens human rights. The ways in which culture shapes violence against women are as varied as culture itself. For example, the phenomena of date rape and eating disorders are tied to cultural norms but are not often labelled as cultural phenomena. The date rape is a kind a of rape when a person who is known socially commits the rape. Various manifestations of femicide, the murder of women because they are women, illustrates the interrelationship between cultural norms and the use of violence in the subordination of women. Femicide takes place in many contexts: intimate partner violence, armed conflict, workplace harassment, and dowry disputes and the protection of family honour. For example, crimes committed in the name of honour, usually by a brother, father, husband or other male family member, are a means of controlling womens choices, not only in the area of sexuality but also in other aspects of behavior, such as freedom of movement. Such crimes frequently have a collective dimension, with the family as a whole believing itself to be injured by a womans actual or perceived behaviour. They are often public in character, which is integral to their social functions, which include influencing the conduct of other women. In other cultural contexts, preoccupation with womens sexuality is

manifested not only in practices for enforcing chastity but also in the way female sexuality is turned into a commodity in the media and advertising. The role of culture as a causal factor for violence against women must therefore be investigated within diverse cultural settings, taking into account the many ways in which the concept of culture is used. Culture can be most usefully viewed as a shifting set of discourses, power relations and social, economic and political processes, rather than as a fixed set of beliefs and practices. Given the fluidity of culture, womens agency in challenging oppressive cultural norms and articulating cultural values that respect their human rights is of central importance. Efforts to address the impact of culture on violence should therefore take direction from the women who are seeking to ensure their rights within the cultural communities concerned. Recent Development CEDAW On 18 December 1979, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. This convention was a culmination of more than thirty years of work. This conventions aims to end all forms discrimination against women such as any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex...in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field (discrimination against women as defined in Article 1) This convention was a landmark in quest for bringing equality for women, one half of the population of the world. Till then human rights were gender neutral, speaking about the human rights that should be guaranteed to all, very little about women in specific, who rights were more or less completely forgotten about. This convention speaks about adopting appropriate legislative and other measures, including sanctions where appropriate, prohibiting all discrimination against women; states shall take in all fields, in particular in the political, social, economic and cultural fields, all appropriate measures, to ensure the full development and advancement of women; states taking all possible measure to prevent trafficking and exploitation of women etc. The Womens Treaty was adopted by the United Nations nearly 31 years ago and is the first treaty to comprehensively address womens rights and fundamental freedoms. The treaty builds on several previous international human rights instruments, including the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). It obliges parties to end discrimination against women and addresses areas that are crucial to womens equality, from citizenship rights and political participation to inheritance and property rights to freedom from domestic violence and sex trafficking. It is consistent with the approach that we have already taken on these issues domestically. To date, 186 out of 192 UN member states are party to the treaty.

Around the world, women are using the Womens Treaty as an instrument for progress and empowerment. There are countless stories of women who have used their countries commitments to the treaty to bring constitutions, laws, and policies in line with the principle of nondiscrimination against women. United Nations Security Council resolution 1325 United Nations Security Council resolution 1325 was adopted unanimously on 31 October 2000. It called on all actors involved in negotiating and implementing peace agreements to adopt a gender perspective that included the special needs of women and girls during repatriation and resettlement, rehabilitation, reintegration and post-conflict reconstruction. Religious Practices Christianity Adam and Eve "When the woman (Eve) saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. Shealso gave some to her husband (Adam), who was with her, and he ate it...Then the man (Adam) and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, "Where are you?" He (Adam) answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." And he (God) said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" The man said, "The woman (Eve) you put here with me-she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." To the woman he (God) said, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you." To Adam he (God) said, "Because you listen to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life." Genesis 3:6-17 "Let the women learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression." (I Timothy 2:11-14) Childbirth "Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean." (Leviticus 12:2)

"But if she bears a maid child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her separation: and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying threescore and six days." (Leviticus 12:5) Meaning : A woman who gives birth to a child must undergo a purification ritual lest her "uncleanness" contaminate others. This not only entails her isolation, but also payments to priests for the ritual acts. Thus the male dominators had even made birth dirty. Notice here that if a woman bears a female child, her isolation must last twice as long as that if she gives birth to a male child! Wickedness of women "I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner she will ensnare." "Look," says the Teacher, "this is what I have discovered: "Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things-while I was still searching but not finding- I found one upright man among a thousand, but not one upright woman among them all." Ecclesiastes 7:26-28 "Give me any plague, but the plague of the heart: and any wickedness, but the wickedness of a woman." (Eccles. 25:13) "Of the woman came the beginning of sin, and through her we all die." (Eccles. 25:22) "If she go not as thou wouldest have her, cut her off from thy flesh, and give her a bill of divorce, and let her go." (Eccles. 25: 26) "The whoredom of a woman may be known in her haughty looks and eyelids. If thy daughter be shameless, keep her in straitly, lest she abuse herself through overmuch liberty."(Eccles. 26:9-10) "A silent and loving woman is a gift of the Lord: and there is nothing so much worth as a mind well instructed. A shamefaced and faithful woman is a double grace, and her continent mind cannot be valued." (Eccles. 26:14-15) "A shameless woman shall be counted as a dog; but she that is shamefaced will fear the Lord." (Eccles.26:25) "For from garments cometh a moth, and from women wickedness. Better is the churlishness of a man than a courteous woman, a woman, I say, which bringeth shame and reproach." (Eccles. 42:13-14) Menstruation "When a woman has her regular flow of blood, the impurity of her monthly period will last seven days, and anyone who touches her will be unclean till evening. anything she lies on during her period will be unclean, and anything she sits on will be unclean. Whoever touches her bed must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean till evening.

Whoever touches anything she sits on must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean till evening. Whether it is the bed or anything she was sitting on, when anyone touches it, he will be unclean till evening." Leviticus 15:19-23 "Do not approach a woman to have sexual relations during the uncleanness of her monthly period." Leviticus 18:19 Womens Education "let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law, and if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for woman to speak in the church." 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 Dressing Modestly "Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head...If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head" 1 Corrinthians 11:3-6 "I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God" Timothy 2:9-10 Polygamy was allowed. "After he left Hebron, David took more concubines and wives in Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him." 2 Samuel 5:13 "He (Solomon) had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines..." 1 Kings 11:3 "And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah." Genesis 4:19

"If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have born him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the first-born son be hers that was hated: then it shall be, when he maketh..." Deuteronomy 21:15 "if he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall her not diminish." Exodus 21:10 Divorcees and widows could not remarry "...who marries the divorced woman commits adultery." Matthew 5:32 "'The woman he (the priest) marries must be a virgin. He must not marry a widow, a divorced woman, or a woman defiled by prostitution, but only a virgin from his own people.'" Leviticus 21:13-4 Sex before Marriage was not allowed for women "And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire." (Leviticus 21:9) Females are inferior to males "But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God." (I Corinthians 11:3) "For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man." (I Corinthians 11:8-9) Treating women as a commodity "If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found; Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels of silvers, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days." (Deuteronomy 22:28-29) Not only does the Woman get blamed for the Fall, but God decides to multiply her sorrow, plus, she must submit to her husband like a slave. "Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee." (Genesis 3:16) The Catholic Church was against any form of contraception, excluding abstinence The following is the condemnation of contraception:

Therefore We base Our words on the first principles of a human and Christian doctrine of marriage when We are obliged once more to declare that the direct interruption of the generative process already begun and, above all, all direct abortion, even for therapeutic reasons, are to be absolutely excluded as lawful means of regulating the number of children. Equally to be condemned, as the magisterium of the Church has affirmed on many occasions, is direct sterilization, whether of the man or of the woman, whether permanent or temporary. Similarly excluded is any action which either before, at the moment of, or after sexual intercourse, is specifically intended to prevent procreationwhether as an end or as a means. The Catholic Church is also opposed to all forms of abortions also, thus not even allowing abortion when the life of the mother is at stake, as seen in the recent in the recent Irish case of Mrs.Savita. Islam The Qur'an: Qur'an (4:11) - (Inheritance) "The male shall have the equal of the portion of two females". In Islam, sexism is mathematically established. Qur'an (2:282) - (Court testimony) "And call to witness, from among your men, two witnesses. And if two men be not found then a man and two women." Muslim apologists offer creative explanations to explain why Allah felt that a man's testimony in court should be valued twice as highly as a woman's, but studies consistently show that women are actually less likely to tell lies than men, meaning that they would make more reliable witnesses. Qur'an (2:228) - "and the men are a degree above them [women]" Qur'an (5:6) - "And if ye are unclean, purify yourselves. And if ye are sick or on a journey, or one of you cometh from the closet, or ye have had contact with women, and ye find not water, then go to clean, high ground and rub your faces and your hands with some of it" Men are to rub dirt on their hands if there is no water to purify them following casual contact with a woman (such as shaking hands). Qur'an (24:31) - Women are to lower their gaze around men, so they do not look them in the eye. Qur'an (2:223) - "Your wives are as a tilth unto you; so approach your tilth when or how ye will..." A man has dominion over his wives' bodies as he does his land. This verse is overtly sexual. There is some dispute as to whether it is referring to the practice of anal intercourse, which it has been used historically to justify. If this is what Muhammad meant, however, then it would appear to contradict what he said in Muslim (8:3365). Qur'an (4:3) - (Wife-to-husband ratio) "Marry women of your choice, Two or three or four" Inequality by numbers. Qur'an (53:27) - "Those who believe not in the Hereafter, name the angels with female names."

Angels are sublime beings, and would therefore be male and should not be given female names Qur'an (4:24) and Qur'an (33:50) - A man is permitted to take women as sex slaves outside of marriage. This is very significant as, these slaves are meant only to serve From the Hadith: Bukhari (6:301) - "[Muhammad] said, 'Is not the evidence of two women equal to the witness of one man?' They replied in the affirmative. He said, 'This is the deficiency in her intelligence.'" Bukhari (6:301) - continued - "[Muhammad said] 'Isn't it true that a woman can neither pray nor fast during her menses?' The women replied in the affirmative. He said, 'This is the deficiency in her religion.'" Allah has made women deficient in the practice of their religion as well, by giving them menstrual cycles. Bukhari (2:28) - Women comprise the majority of Hell's occupants. This is important because the only women in heaven ever mentioned by Muhammad are the virgins who serve the sexual desires of men. (A weak Hadith, Kanz al-`ummal, 22:10, even suggests that 99% of women go to Hell). Bukhari (62:81) - "The Prophet said: "'The stipulations most entitled to be abided by are those with which you are given the right to enjoy the (women's) private parts (i.e. the stipulations of the marriage contract).'" In other words, the most important thing a woman brings to marriage is between her legs. Bukhari (62:58) - A woman presents herself in marriage to Muhammad, but he does not find her attractive, so he "donates" her on the spot to another man. Muslim (4:1039) - "A'isha said [to Muhammad]: 'You have made us equal to the dogs and the asses'" These are the words of Muhammad's favorite wife, complaining of the role assigned to women under Islam. Abu Dawud (2:704) - "...the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: When one of you prays without a sutrah, a dog, an ass, a pig, a Jew, a Magian, and a woman cut off his prayer, but it will suffice if they pass in front of him at a distance of over a stone's throw." Abu Dawud (2155) - Women are compared to slaves and camels with regard to the "evil" in them. Ishaq 593 - "As for Ali, he said, 'Women are plentiful, and you can easily change one for another.'" Muhammad raised Ali as a son. He was also the 4th caliph. This comment was made in Muhammad's presence without a word of rebuke from him.

Ishaq 593 - "From the captives of Hunayn, Allah's Messenger gave [his son-in-law] Ali a slave girl called Baytab and he gave [future Caliph] Uthman a slave girl called Zaynab and [future Caliph] Umar another." - Even in this world, Muhammad treated women like party favors, handing out slave girls to his cronies for sex. Al-Tirmidhi 3272 - "When Allah's Messenger was asked which woman was best he replied, 'The one who pleases (her husband) when he looks at her, obeys him when he gives a command, and does not go against his wishes regarding her person or property by doing anything of which he disapproves'." Tabari VIII:117 - The fate of more captured farm wives, whom the Muslims distributed amongst themselves as sex slaves: "Dihyah had asked the Messenger for Safiyah when the Prophet chose her for himself... the Apostle traded for Safiyah by giving Dihyah her two cousins. The women of Khaybar were distributed among the Muslims." Tabari IX:137 - "Allah granted Rayhana of the Qurayza to Muhammad as booty." Ishaq 969 - "Men were to lay injunctions on women lightly, for they were prisoners of men and had no control over their persons." - This same text also justifies beating women for flirting. Tabari Vol 9, Number 1754 - "Treat women well, for they are [like] domestic animals with you and do not possess anything for themselves." From Muhammad's 'Farewell Sermon'. A traditional Islamic saying is that, "A woman's heaven is beneath her husband's feet." One of the world's most respected Quran commentaries explains that, "Women are like cows, horses, and camels, for all are ridden." (Tafsir al-Qurtubi) The revered Islamic scholar, al-Ghazali, who has been called 'the greatest Muslim after Muhammad,' writes that the role of a Muslim woman is to "stay at home and get on with her sewing. She should not go out often, she must not be well-informed, nor must she be communicative with her neighbors and only visit them when absolutely necessary; she should take care of her husband... and seek to satisfy him in everything... Her sole worry should be her virtue... She should be clean and ready to satisfy her husband's sexual needs at any moment." Sexual intercourse between a Muslim woman and any man who she is not married to, is called zina, a religious crime in Islam. Currently, it is common for a Muslim woman who raises claims of rape to be not only denied justice, but to be charged as a criminal herself for committing fornication or adultery Several Islamic countries allow rapists to avoid criminal prosecution if they marry their victim. (Example Morocco) Hinduism Female Infanticide

Female infanticide arose from the general Vedic attitude towards women. The large dowries prescribed by the Vedas (see the section of dowries below) meant that a girl was seen as a burden. The woman who gave birth to a daughter was ashamed, and much stigma attached to a lady who only gave birth to daughters. Hence infanticide arose as a convenient way of getting rid of the burden. Child Marriage Child marriage of daughters 5-6 y old was common due to the custom of dowry and to avoid scandals. Law books prescribe that the best partner for a man in one-third his age. Thus a man 18 year old should marry a girl 6 years old. Burning of Women Bride-Burning This is often related to dowry, when the bride's family cannot pay up to the amount demanded by the in-laws. Often the in-laws make demands in excess of those made at the time of marriage. When the deadline specified runs out, the bride is burned in often-gruesome fashions. At least 5000 women die each year for not bringing in enough dowries. At least a dozen women die each day in `kitchen fires', which are often passed off as accidents, because their in-laws are not satisfied with their dowries. Only a few of the murderers are brought to justice. Wife-Burning A Hindu husband could at any time accuse his wife of infidelity. In case the wife protests her innocence, the council of village elders would then order an ordeal by fire. The accused wife would be required to pass through a blazing flame. Not just death, but any signs of burns would be taken, as a sign of guilt and the wife would then have to undergo the penalty for infidelity Sati- Widow Burning The Hindus practice a horrific custom of sati the burning of a woman after the death of her husband. When performed singly it is referred to as sati, when performed en masse by all the women and daughters of a town in anticipation of their widowhood (eg. when the men were to fight a battle against all odds), it is known as jauhar. It is sanctioned by their most sacred texts. Restrictions on Women Property A woman is declared to have no property; the wealth which she earn is (acquired) for him to whom they belong. Dowry

The Vedas prescribe that the brides family give a dowry to the groom. The Rig Veda states that cows and gifts given by the father of the bride to the daughter accompanied the bride's procession. This practice has been exploited by the grooms family to demand large sums of dowry from the brides father Staying alone As per Hinduism, a women should always come under suspicion, so even when her husband is away, she should not stay alone, but with female relatives. No education Women are considered unfit to learn the Vedas, so they were not given education. Divorce and Remarriage not permitted A women has to live with a man, how ever bad, he treats her. Also, if widowed, she cannot come back into normal society and must live a secluded like with other widows. Points A Resolution Must Answer (PARMA)

g of women in various nations

-practices

all the nations in the world.

Key Documents Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/text/econvention.htm Displacement, Statelessness and Questions of Gender Equality under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Womenhttp://www.refworld.org/pdfid/4a8aa8bd2.pdf Links for further research UN Women Watch-http://www.un.org/womenwatch/directory/ Work of the General Assembly on violence against womenhttp://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/vaw/reports.htm

Bibliography THE VIOLENT OPPRESSION OF WOMEN IN ISLAM By Robert Spencer and Phyllis Chesler Basis of Womens Oppression-Sam Richards and Paul Saba The rights of women in Islam-Ayatullah Murtadha Mutahhari-http://www.christianityislam.com/woman.html Women in Indo-Aryan Societies- http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Agora/4229/in3.htm A Womens worth relative to a mans-http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/Quran/010-womenworth-less.htm Grabrucker, Marianne, (1998), Socialization and Gender Roles in Marsh, Ian (ed.) Classic and Contemporary readings in Sociology pp 37-43 Maynard, Mary (1999), Gender Relations in Taylor, Steve (ed.) Sociology: Issues and Debates, Mac Millan Press Ltd, London pp 116122