Gender Equality and the Economic Empowerment of Women
Margaret A McLaren2008
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Abstract
Introduction Much of the feminist debate at the international level concerns the issue of human rights. In so far as human rights promote the fair and equal treatment of individuals regardless of gender, class, race, ethnicity, sexuality, and religious orientation, feminism and human rights seem to be natural allies. Many feminists argue for the importance of fully including women in the scope and application of human rights. Clearly, women should be offered the basic protections and freedoms that men enjoy. Moreover, feminists argue that simply extending human rights to women does not go far enough because there are a number of gender specific circumstances, such as reproductive issues and domestic violence, that remain outside the scope of human rights as currently conceived. This approach to securing women's equality globally focuses on women's inclusion in the scope of human rights, and questions the gender neutrality of the concept of human rights. In contrast to this f...
Key takeaways
- I suggest that feminists concerned with global women"s issues and rights should prioritize economic and social rights, rather than political and legal rights.
- Because of this, many feminists advocate the view that "women"s rights are human rights."
- Extending rights to women, and correcting gender bias in the scope and application of rights are important strategies to promote women"s equality globally.
- Women are encouraged to take on positions of leadership, which are not generally available to poor women with limited education.
- Feminists can learn important lessons from Marketplace and the Self-Employed
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