Development of the human rights of women in a cultural milieu

Abstract

There was a time when women were regarded as the slaves of men but that time has faded away. Women in most parts of the world are apparently measuring up to, or healthily competing with men in all fields of life, and are making progress. Human rights are not for men alone; they are inherent in women and should be enjoyed by them without discrimination. However despite significant achievements in the quest for women’s equality and in particular the entry into force of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, ensuring gender equality remains an enormous challenge. It is not just the ratification of treaties that guarantees gender equality but the transformation of entrenched or deep-rooted traditional practices that discriminate against women. This paper is a discourse on the development of human rights of women around the world, particularly in cultural settings in Nigeria. It seeks to reveal the actual state of women in the enjoyment of their human rights where entrenched cultural barriers serve as inducement for discrimination and how women in such milieux can be salvaged from their deplorable condition. A few recommendations are made and this brings the paper to conclusion.

Keywords: Human Rights, Women, Culture, CEDAW