Human Rights

• Main causes of gender inequality

  • Poverty
  • Cultural barriers
  • Percieved risks
  • Neglected needs
• What are the social explanations for gender inequality?

  • Social acceptance
  • Child marriage
  • Early pregnancy
• How can human rights violations cause conflict?

  • Denial of basic human needs often leads to protests and violence
  • Unequal or unjust treatment
  • Lack of respect for ethic identity or gender
  • Genocide and torture
• Identify the different organisations that have played a role in trying to protect human rights

  • UNAMA in Afghanistan work with and support the government.
  • OHCR in Afghanistan promote rights to food, shelter, education, livelihood, health, justice and physical security.
  • UNICEF protects rights of women and children.
  • UNDP work for sustainable development.
  • IMF includes provision of access to finance.
  • NATO’s Resolute Support Mission involves training, advising and assisting Afghan Government.
• Description of Afghanistan conflict from 2001 onwards

  • Taliban destroyed famous Bamiyan Buddha statues
  • Taliban introduced supported punishments in line with their strict interpretation of Sharia law - such as public executions
  • Men required to grow beards and women had to wear burkas.
• What were the POSITIVE consequences of global governance in Afghanistan for local communities?

  • EU funding and Afghan Aid training have introduced more effective agricultural practices, reduced risk of disease by securing safe water supplies and improved hygiene.
  • Local people now have greater freedom, women are more integrated in society and local democratic practices have been strengthened by the election of community groups.
  • UNAMA - By 2014, nearly 6 million children were attending school(up from 1 million in 2001) and nearly 40 per cent of these were girls.
• What are the causes of gender inequality in India?

  • Due to weak enforcement laws protecting them, women have little access to land and property.
  • Inequality in education is caused by girls being brought up to believe that they are only suited as wives and mothers
  • Little employment of women in agriculture + industries as women don't have the skills, knowledge and training.
• What are the concerns regarding human rights violations in Afghanistan through Taliban control?

  • Women and girls have seen their rights to educations, workplace and participate in public life, restricted
  • Not allowing girls to go to secondary school means that a generation of girls will not complete 12 years of basic education
  • 59% of the population is in need of humanitarian assistance
• What are the economic consequences of gender inequality in India?

  • Women in India spend 5 hrs a day on unpaid care work while men only have to devote a mere half hour.
  • Current level of discrimination is estimated to induce a loss of $888 billion
• Strategies used to try and address the issues in India?

  • Strict punishment handed out to people who promote female feoticide
  • Raising awareness about women rights and increasing access to education though schemes such as Beti Bachao + Beti Padhao (a government-aided campaign to create social awakening among people to give up their conservative views, to teach girls, and to prevent female foeticide)
• What is the political explanation for gender inequality?

  Insufficent government investment
• What human rights violations have occured the last 20 years in Afghanistan?

  • Women found themselves trapped indoor, afraid to leave their house without a male family member
  • Womens access to education and employment fundamentally changed or ended entirely
  • Taliban door-to-door searches, targeted killings and looting
  • A third of the population doesn't have enough to eat and are suffering from acute hunger.
• What is meant by human rights?

  Basic rights and freedom to which all human beings are entitled. They protect everyone equally, without discrimination.
• What is meant by gender inequality?

  Refers to situations in which women and men don't enjoy the same rights + opportunities specifically because they are man/woman.
• What are the economic explanations for gender inequality?

  • Girls are exploited for child labour
  • Levels of discrimination by employers
• What are the social consequences of the issues in India?

  • Wife beating, abuse from husbands which is never publically acknowledged.
  • Discrimination starts as soon as girl enters the womb, if the child opens her eyes in any way, she is killed after her birth.
  • Women face barriers to reporting crimes including humiliation at police stations and hospitals: lack of prosecution and degrading 'two-finger tests'
• How can human rights violations be a consequence of conflict?

  • Increased no. of deaths
  • Damage to property and infrasturcture
  • Restricted access to food and water supplies
  • Displacement of population as refugees
  • Ethnic cleansing
  • Exploitation of women
• Who are the Taliban?

  A religious and political group that ruled Afghanistan 
• What happened during the withdrawal process from the US in the Afghanistan conflict?

  • Days of chaos at the airport due to a suicide attack on August 26th that killed 180 people.
  • Taliban going door to door in some neighbourhoods searching for anyone who supported the government or American effort
• How have the Taliban taken control over Afghanistan and what is their purpose?

  • Military and police units in Afganistan have been hollowed out by desertions, low recruitment rates, poor morale and the theft of pay and equipment by commanders
  • Journalists have been detained, beaten and jailed and Taliban have instructed media outlets not to "contradict islamic values" or report "against national interests"
• What were the NEGATIVE consequences of global governance in Afghanistan?

  • Damage to property and infrastructure
  • Population displacement
  • Further disrespect for human rights
  • Civilian casualties
  • Disruption of education
  • Tensions can be fuelled over aid and conflict prolonged into longer term
  • MIlitary action and ensuing dependence on aid can undermine the local agricultural economy