Women's Rights

Women’s Rights

Introduction

Women's rights are inherent rights it covers the rights to live from barbarity, seldom, and discrimination, to vote, to own property, and to earn a fair and equal wage. Women's rights are very important to grow a successful society, women should be given right equally, and women are the beautiful creature of God. The rights formed to treat both genders equally. The same rights are given to women as other individuals.

Women's rights are divided into two ideologies

1. Islamic ideology (Islamic Perspective)
2. Universal ideology

Background

Before the rise of Islam, the pagan society of pre-Islamic Arabia had an irrational prejudice against their female children whom they used to bury alive. Moreover, if they want to fulfill their sexual pleasure they borrow the women for completing their desires. For them, women are like the puppet or objects. If any woman is married, the groom's family paid a dowry to the bride’s family they purchase the woman and then take advantage. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was opposed to this practice. He showed them that supporting their female children would act as a screen for them against the fire of Hell:

The last prophet said to the Muslims,
"Fear Allah in respect of women." 
In addition: "The best of you are they who behave best to their wives." 

Moreover, “A Muslim must not hate his wife, and if he is displeased with one bad quality in her, let him be pleased with one that is good." In addition: "The more civil and kind a Muslim is to his wife, the more perfect in faith he is."

Islamic View

According to the Islamic scholar, woman's rights occur in the earlier period of (600s CE), the Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH) emphasized the right of women in inheritance, property, and in the decision of marriage.
Islamic laws have highly emphasized the right of women that they are also equal in every aspect and should be given equal rights.

In “surah Nissa” that is mentioned that
O mankind, reverence your Guardian Lord, who created you from a single person, created, of like nature, his mate, and from this pair scattered (like seeds) countless men and women. Reverence Allah, through whom you demand your mutual (rights), and reverence the wombs (that bore you); for Allah ever watches over you (4:1)

According to Islamic law women have the full right to choose their partner by their own choice. Furthermore, a man has the right to marry four women If he provides equal rights to every woman. In Islam, marriage is like a contract between a man and a woman. Although, the groom must pay the dowry directly to the bride.

The Qur'an says: And for women are rights over men like those of men over women. (2:226)

Quran and Sunnah entitled the right that woman can control their property and money. Constantly, husbands would support their wives financially during marriage and for a certain period after a divorce.
In Islam, a woman is a completely independent personality. She can make any contract or bequest in her name.
The Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him) said,
"Women are the twin halves of men." The Qur'an emphasizes the essential unity of men and women in a most beautiful simile:
They (your wives) are your garment, and you are a garment for
them. (2:187)





Women in Quran

Law of Inheritance

In the Islamic Law of inheritance, there is clearly mentioned in
(Surah-Al-Maidah, Ayah 7)
"From what is left by parents and those nearest related there is a share for men and a share for women, whether the property be small or large, a determinate share."


Right of Divorce

The Rights of Divorce is clarified in (Surah-Al-Maidah Ayah 20)
“But if you decide to take one wife in place of another, even if you had given the latter a whole treasure for dower, take not the least bit of it back; Would you take it by slander and a manifest wrong?

Rights of Support

Quran clearly indicates Woman’s Right to Support is mentioned in (Surah 4, Ayah 34)

“Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has given the one more (strength) than the other, and because they support them from their means.”

Protection of Woman’s Chastity

Each woman would wear the hijab for the protection of chastity and cover up her beauty therefore Muslim Controversy on women's hijab by forcing expect their choice. Although they should fully cover their bodies.

To Sum-up this Controversy Arabs determined it through the Quran in (Surah An-Nur, Ayah 31) which is emphasized on the Safeguard of Woman’s Chastity.

“And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to [relatives]” (Surah 24 Ayah 31)

In contrast to this Ayat second Ayat revealed for men that they should also cover their sight in sense of a woman’s body protection. 
“Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah is well familiar with all that they do.” (Surah 24, Ayah 30)

(Universal Perspective)

In the early 1800s, many activists who believed in revoking slavery decided to support women's suffrage as well. In the 1800s and early 1900, many activists who favored temperance decided to support women's suffrage, too. This encouraged a to boost the women's suffrage movement in the United States.

At the end of the civil war, the journey of a woman's Right was begun however at the time of the 1820s and '30s, most states maintained enlarged the franchise to all white men, regardless of how much money or property they had.

Thereafter, all sorts of reform groups were proliferating across the United States austerity leagues, religious movements, moral-reform societies, and anti-slavery organizations and in many of these, women played a leading role. Meanwhile, many American women were commencing to graze against what historians have called the “Cult of True Womanhood”: that is, the idea that the only “true” woman was a devoted, modest wife and mother concerned entirely with home and family.

It is the story of 100-year patience, to get equal right or positions in society. Many activists come and go but no one can achieve victory they all create history because the campaign they are moving that is not easy. However, on August 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, enfranchising all American women, and declaring for the first time that they, like men, deserve all the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

Universal View

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world,
Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
~Margaret Mead~

The United Nations Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (UNCEDAW) is the most remarkable declaration for the preservation of women's rights. It includes economic, political, social, cultural, religious, and social rights. They also condemn all types of discrimination, harassment, sexual abuse, violence, and trafficking of women around the globe. In the time, of 1848 A lady (Elizabeth Cady Stanton) comes and gives the revolution to the right women, she is also known for her writing the declaration of Sentiments for the Seneca Falls Convention and for organizing the women's suffrage movement in the United States.

In the Year 1848, Stanton attained the meeting and read the “Declaration of Sentiments,” At the 1848 convention Stanton read the “Declaration of Sentiments,” a proclamation of complaints and demands patterned almost after the Declaration of Independence. It called upon women to compose and appeal for their rights.

The convention upheld 12 resolutions 11 without exception, established to evolve regional rights and privileges that women of the era were opposed to. The ninth resolution stressed the right to vote; upheld narrowly upon the declaration of Stanton; it subjected the Seneca Falls Convention to subsequent ridicule and affected many supporters of women’s rights to revoke their consent. It however fulfilled as the cornerstone of the woman suffrage movement that concluded in the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920.

In the effect of the Women's Suffrage Movement, women's economic roles improved in society. Heretofore there were more academic opportunities for women it directed more and more women to grasp their ability for significant professional careers. In addition, women's wages improved but not to the quantity that men earned.

SOCIETIES PRESSURE ON WOMEN 

Women are strongly emphasized by society’s values, norms, and rituals, they are bound by society. Society creates different rights/roles for men and women. Women are physiologically and physically pressurized on many things like education health issues, marriages, childbirth, and so forth. Most of the women victimized by the man are suppressed by society’s values.

Woman’s movement 

The women's rights movement also called the women's independence movement a different social movement, largely based in the United States, which in the 1960s and '70s pursued equal rights and reliefs and enormous personal freedom for women. It occurred in three waves of feminism.

Feminism

The term feminism interprets political, cultural, and economic movements that strive to verify equal rights and lawful protections for women.

Three waves of Feminism 

Feminist history is divided into three waves.

• The first wave that emerged in the years 19 and early 20th centuries was an emphasis on the right to vote.

• The second wave emerged in the year of 1960s and 1970s it's mainly focused on the women’s independence movement for equally formal and social rights.

• The third wave, starting up in the year of 1990s, is an outcome of, and response to, second-wave feminism.

Wave 01

In the first wave of feminism, it is mentioned that women have the full right to private ownership and have an equal share in property.
By the end of the 19th century, feminists emphasized and focused on the right to vote, because at that time women are not allowed to vote. After that in the 19th century, US Constitution giving the right that women is allowed to vote.

Wave 02

The second wave of feminism is focused on the issues of equality and discrimination. The slogan of the second wave is “The Personal is Political” they identified women’s cultural and political discrimination and how they were suppressed by people or their men and family.

Betty Friedan is the main leading character of this wave.
In the 20th century Friedan, give the survey that women are victimized by false beliefs. That causes the loss of identity in their family.

Wave 03

Third-wave feminism began in the year of 1990s, it is the response, it is perceived as the failure of the second wave, and it is the black mark on feminist history. This wave is all about the discrimination factor on different parameters of women.

MAJOR WOMEN ISSUES

Despite the obligations ensured by the states, women around the world are still facing violations of their rights.

The following are the main issues of women.

• Many females are suffering from violence on the domestic level and this needs to be eliminated. The UN has declared the detrainment of all types of mistreatment of women.

• The sexual exploitation like rape, child marriage, and enforced prostitution is also a primary obstacle to the freedom of women.

• Lack of education for women keeps them illiterate, which disables them from knowing their rights and develops diffident personalities.

ESSENTIAL CONVENTIONS ON THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN 

• The Convention on the Political Rights of Women (1953)

• The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (1979)

• Declaration on Elimination of Violence against Women (1993)

• Recommendation on Balanced participation of Women and Men in Political and Public Decision making (2003)

IMPORTANCE

Islam has granted women with certain rights, and the state has the responsibility to practice them. Their primary purpose is to make the status of women socially, economically, politically, and personally stable.
These rights and rules help to avoid superiority and inferiority complexes between both genders and enable them to live peacefully and respect each other’s dignity and importance.

Without the importance of women's rights, society can be ruined. The role of women in society is very important, if they are not given the proper rights, it destructs our society. We have thousands of examples where women are taken under the feet of men. Where a girl is being stopped to get an education.  Most of the women are considered slaves in the eye of their husbands. So, if their rights are not given to women, it takes the world into the dark, it is important to fulfill the rights of women.