Is Women Rights still an issue?( Global issues)

I think of Women Rights around the world as an important indicator to understand global well-being. “A major global women’s rights treaty was ratified by the majority of the world’s nations a few decades ago” (Globalissues.org). Women are still fighting for their rights today because numerous issues still exist in all areas of life ranging from the cultural, political to the economic. For example women often work more than men, yet are paid less; gender discrimination affects girls and women throughout their lifetime which usually leads to us being the ones that suffer the most poverty. A 2010 study in the global problems and culture of capitalism shows that gender equality furthers the cause of child survival and development for all society, so the importance of women’s rights and gender equality should not be underestimated. This Chart below shows the estimated earnings for women lower than for men.

According to Dr. Margaret Chan, director- General, World Health Organization, says “We will not see sustainable progress unless we fix failures so that girls and women enjoy equal access to education, employment and political positions.” I agree with Dr. Chan because there is no way results are going to show if we don’t fix the issues we have now. Women have been taking for granted not only in the United States Women are fighting for their rights globally. According to (Gobalissues.org) Women are:

• 52 percent of the world’s population
• Responsible for 66 percent of the world’s output
• Earn 10 percent of the world’s income
• Own 1 percent of the world’s property

Men still hold over 80 percent of the most powerful economic and political positions. There is so much wrong with this picture.”

Furthermore research by Anup Shah shows that Gender discrimination throughout a lifetime of women stages show that from feticide and infanticide that the economic shows a clear cultural preference for sons; the misuse of pregnancy diagnostic tools can facilitate female feticide. Throughout the middle years, Adolescence and Motherhood/old age; women take on an increasingly rate of gender discrimination. For example in the Adolescence stage women take on a great factor of adolescent development are abuse, exploitation and violence, and the lack of vital knowledge about sexual and reproductive health, including HIV/AIDS. “Specific areas that UNICEF highlighted were female genital mutilation/cutting; child marriage and premature parenthood; sexual abuse, exploitation and trafficking; sexual and reproductive health; and HIV/AIDS” (Golbalissues.org). In Motherhood/old age these are “two key periods in many women’s lives when the pernicious effects of both poverty and inequality can combine.” Shockingly, “It is estimated that each year more than half a million women—roughly one woman every minute—die as a result of pregnancy complications and childbirth,” 99% of which occur in developing countries. Yet “many of these women’s lives could be saved if they had access to basic health care services.” In addition, elderly women may face double discrimination on the basis of both gender and age. Many older women are plunged into poverty at a time of life when they are very vulnerable. However, “children’s rights are advanced when programmers that seek to benefit children and families also include elderly women” (Golbalissues.org).

Work Cited

Shah, Anup. “Women’s Rights.” Global Issues. 14 Mar. 2010. Web. 17 Sep. 2013. <http://www.globalissues.org/article/166/womens-rights>.

Chan, Dr. Magaret. "Equal Rights and Opportunities for Women and Girls Essential for Better Health." WHO. Dr.Magaret Chan, 8 Mar. 2010. Web. 17 Sept. 2013.