Terms Definition
A rights-based approach to development is an approach aimed at realizing human rights or the rights “that every human being possesses and is entitled to enjoy simply by human beings” (Understanding Gender Concepts 29). It serves as a conceptual framework the aim of which is to protect and promote human rights by international human rights standards based on four main principles. The first is equality and equity, the second is empowerment, the third is accountability, and the last is participation. In addition to this, a rights-based approach to development also focuses on the non-discrimination of vulnerable groups. Within this approach, “human rights can be the means, the ends, the mechanism of evaluation, and the central focus of sustainable human development” (“A Rights-Based Approach to Development” 1).
A treaty body is a concept related to the implementation of human rights treaties. It is used to denote a committee that consists of several independent experts who monitor and control the ways the States parties implement the human rights treaties. A government that is a part of a particular treaty is obliged to report to a definite treaty body about its compliance with its obligations under this treaty; these reports to treaty bodies contain measures that the government has taken to comply with its obligations, as well as the difficulties that it faced at this. Apart from this, treaty bodies “also get information from NGOs, often in the form of “shadow report”, which they can use in questioning the official government report” (Understanding Gender Concepts, p. 32).
Gender mainstreaming is a specific public policy aimed at the elimination of gender inequality. This concept, however, is applied not only in the cases of discrimination against women. Instead, gender mainstreaming is a strategy directed at ensuring both the genders with equal rights and opportunities, thus, focusing on the programs, policies, and actions implemented in different spheres and areas (political, economical, societal, etc) and monitoring their proper implementation. In other words, this is a gender perspective that brings to light “the social relations between women and men in all aspects of socio-economic activities and within social and institutional structures” (Understanding Gender Concepts, p.12). It ensures gender equality and, therefore, encourages growth and reduces poverty in society (Buvinic and King para. 6).
Gender analysis is a process of examining differences that exist in the lives of men and women to identify social and economic gender-based inequalities in their roles, as well as of defining causes of such inequalities, and contributing to corresponding policy development, thus, ensuring positive changes for women. In addition to this, gender analysis deals with the planned interventions and the implications that they have; with regards to this, its purpose is to ensure understanding of these implications within different contexts (economic, political, social, etc) and evaluate the resources that the implementation of the planned interventions requires.
International Human Rights Framework Evolution
The evolution of the International Human Rights Framework began with the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) that proclaimed human rights as “universal, inalienable, and indivisible” (Understanding Gender Concepts, p. 30). This was followed by the establishment of the Commission on Human Rights. In the following decade, two important human rights treaties have been adopted, namely, “The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights” (Understanding Gender Concepts, p.31). A definite number of countries had to sign these for them to take effect, which was achieved during the third decade in 1976. In the decade that followed this, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) took effect (1981), after which a World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna was held by the UN in the last decade in 1993.
All these stages of development had certain implications for the UN member states. For instance, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted in 1948 obligated all the UN member states to uphold certain standards that it set. Moreover, after signing the two covenants, the UN member states acknowledged women’s rights and liberties, as well as took responsibility to protect them from different forms of discrimination (Understanding Gender Concepts, p.31). This contributed greatly to the emancipation of women in these countries, and, consequently, gender equality. In addition, by signing the treaties, the UN member states obliged themselves to follow the laws and provisions of these treaties, which contributed to the development of the human rights law content in these countries and the adoption of new laws protecting human rights and ensuring gender equality.
Numerous examples are proving that these events have tangibly affected gender equality in several world countries. Judging from my own experience, I can state that there is hardly a position in the modern world that is gender-dependent. When searching for a job, I was offered the most unexpected vacancies, which proved to me that gender equality was present in society. These days, males can work as cooks, models, and even babysitters, while women can occupy the positions of engineers, programmers, and police officers. Women can obtain education in any of the world universities, irrespective of how technical their orientation is. Moreover, women can take upon themselves the role of the head of the family who supports it financially, whereas men can raise children. This proves that the evolution of human rights has strongly affected gender equality.
CEDAW Recommendations
Recommendation 24 of CEDAW has been adopted to explain to the Committee Article 12 of this convention. This article deals with women’s rights to health and their reproductive rights. Concerning it, gender equality should be ensured in the sphere of health care granting men and women equal access to medical services; besides, women are to be ensured with “appropriate services in connection with pregnancy, confinement and the post-natal period, granting free services where necessary, as well as adequate nutrition during pregnancy and lactation” (Understanding Gender Concepts, p.41). Therefore, general Recommendation 24 of CEDAW became especially important for those involved in a reproductive health area.
This and several other Recommendations of CEDAW covered important issues of reproductive health. For instance, Recommendation 24 obligated the governments to “remove punitive measures imposed on women who undergo abortion” (Understanding Gender Concepts, p.42). Owing to other Recommendations of CEDAW, women got access to numerous reproductive health services. Some of the brightest examples are family planning that allows preventing unwanted pregnancy and artificial insemination that allows women with certain reproduction problems to have children. One more way in which these recommendations relate to RH issues is the possibility of women learning more about childbirth, care, rearing, etc. Several hospitals currently offer free-of-charge courses for future mothers, as well as specialist consultations and recommendations for those who have AIDS or got AIDS during pregnancy. Thus, CEDAW made RH an inalienable human right.
10 Key Questions Tool in Gender Analysis
The use of the 10 Key Questions Tool in gender analysis has long been underestimated. Nevertheless, the application of this tool for namely this type of analysis is more than useful. Its greatest benefit is that it allows carrying out gender analysis at two levels: policy level and family level. In any of these cases, the 10 Key Questions Tool allows identifying important indicators that should be used to measure progress when performing a gender analysis of a definite problem, stating dimensions in a gender-sensitive way, as well as measuring these dimensions in a gender-sensitive way.
Thus, for example, when carrying out a gender-sensitive analysis of the problem of unwanted pregnancy in a certain country, this tool allows analyzing the situation and identifying the causes of the problem, which will further help to identify “goal, purpose, outputs, and activities for this problem” (Using Gender Analysis and Indicators, p. 33). This will allow working out solutions to the existing problem within each family that faces it. At the same time, this will require certain policies to be outlined and implemented (for instance, modifying family planning protocols and providing additional family planning services for the population) and certain activities to be done to make these policies effective. In this way, this tool can be successfully used for conducting gender-sensitive analysis at family and policy levels.
Works Cited
- “A Rights-Based Approach to Development.” Women’s Rights and Economic Change 1 (2002): 1-8.
- “Smart Economics.” Finance and Development 44.2 (2007).
- Understanding Gender Concepts. Geneva: United Nations Population Fund, 2003.
- Using Gender Analysis and Indicators. Geneva: United Nations Population Fund, 2003.