"Iran and Saudi Arabia may get seats on the board of a new UN super-agency to promote women's rights, prompting outrage from human rights and women's activists." As it should as both Saudi Arabia and Iran are infamous for their mistreatment of women. "In Saudi Arabia women are forbidden to drive, and cannot take significant decisions without the permission of a male relative.” “Iran drew international condemnation recently, when it was reported that a woman had been sentenced to death by stoning after being convicted of adultery and complicity in her husband's murder.” The dangers in this seem obvious; the contradiction of ideals so extreme, the body could seems rather like an invalid joke, not to mention that these strong differences would make moving forward on political decisions close to impossible.
Politics is a way in which we can safeguard “justice, peace, liberty and prosperity,” it allows us to invest collectively, and it is through collectiveness that we are most efficient. “Politics presupposes disagreement, conflict, contradiction. When everyone agrees” (that security is better than lack of, “happiness better than unhappiness”, women equal to men), “there is no need for politics.” This is why this body is needed, because there are differences between the treatment of women and what is acceptable, and allowing them to get as much aid as possible. It then seems rather ironic that you would allow the two political powers who’s laws for women are some of the most ‘unethical’ key members to a group who aims to be “dedicated exclusively to gender equality and advancement of women.”
The world however is field with different ideals; politics is about facilitating these differences and coming to a mutually agreeable consensus. Why would Saudi implement laws on women’s rights that have no representation of the ideals they hold for women, regardless of whether theses ideals are ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. Does allowing them to be on the board therefore allow a greater representation of what is women’s right? Allow for greater opportunity to wield political diplomacy with the possibility for real active change as it carries greater representation of ideals and more active participation by bodies that seem to be against women rather then for them.
This is a quick reflection of this article I found on the BBC website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11718367.
great photos - interesting reflection
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