Feminism and Cultural Relativism in Human Rights Discourse: Sex-determination Test in India
ABSTRACT: Feminists and cultural relativists are highly critical of human rights even if their criticisms have taken two diametrically opposed sides. This has created a conflict between the two groups. In this paper, I summarize the views of feminists and cultural relativists and then show that there are many similarities between them despite their differences, for they share a common ground concerning human rights discourse. Based on the similarities, I believe that both must work together on this matter by making changes in an inclusive way with regard to human rights violations. This is true not only at the international level but also at national
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In these international conferences, feminists claim victory over cultural relativists as feminists were able to reaffirm women's human rights. (1) Feminists and cultural relativists are the two groups which are highly critical of human rights. Sometimes, feminists and cultural relativists have taken two diametrically opposite sides with regard to their criticisms of human rights systems creating a division rather than an unification. In this paper, I intend to show that there is room for common ground between the feminists and cultural relativists though there are some differences between them and there is a need for the cooperation of feminists and cultural relativists on the basis of this common ground not only at the international level but also in the context of India. To achieve this objective, first, I make a general analysis of the views of feminists and cultural relativists in the context of human rights. Second, I explain briefly the similarities and differences between these two views. Third, I analyze the issue of sex-determination test in India as my case study, among many other human rights issues, to demonstrate that if cultural relativists and feminists do not work cooperatively within this common ground, it will not be possible to apply the reproductive …show more content…
There are certain similarities between the claims of feminism and cultural relativism though there are differences also. First, both believe that the liberal concept of human rights have been developed by the dominant group and they exclude the feminist and cultural relativistic perspective. Feminists and cultural relativists advocate different strategies. Feminists accuse human rights discourse as not being universal as it does not include concerns of women. Cultural relativists, on the other hand, rejects the universality of human rights as they exclude the perspective of non-Western cultures.
Second, another similarity between feminists and cultural relativists is that both believe that social and economic rights should be viewed on the same level and given equal importance to civil and political rights. The concrete needs of women and non-Western people must be given importance and not view people or individuals as abstractions.
Lugones, María C. and Elizabeth V. Spelman (1983) “Have We Got a Theory for You! Feminist Theory, Cultural Imperialism and the Demand for ‘The Woman’s Voice’.” Women’s Studies International Forum, 6 (6): 573-581..
Internationally, issues revolving around the female body and reproduction are extremely controversial. For a woman, her body is a very private matter. At the same time, however, a woman's body and her reproduction rights are the center of attention in many public debates. Several questions regarding women's reproductive rights remain unanswered. How much control do women have over their bodies? What kind of rules can be morally imposed upon women? And who controls the bodies of women? Although the public continues to debate these topics, certain conclusions can been made concerning women and their reproductive rights. An undeniable fact is that government has a large degree of control over female reproductive organs. All around the world, time and time again, several national governments have implemented policies, enacted laws, and denied women control over their reproductive organs. Several governments have crossed the border between intimate and public matters concerning women's reproductive organs, by making laws about contraceptives, abortion, and family planning programs.
Schattuck, John. “Overview of Human Right Practices, 1995,” Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. March 1996: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 10 Oct 2013.
...estrictions forced upon them. She used her writing to examine, express, and voice her dissatisfaction with the masculine long-established society, and emphasized a woman’s self-definition. She showed it was a woman’s responsibility to safeguard her own happiness as well as to follow the heart’s desire without trepidation. Her use of sympathetic female characters was a brilliant way to advocate contemporary feminist issues.
Academic discourse is the means by which new and old theories may be applied to a topic in order to reach a better understanding or challenge a notion raised within the field. It is through discussing and analyzing these concepts that individual voices may be applied to an academic community, allowing for a wider lens of thought to be picked up and further discussed. Grewal participates in this discourse in her article “'Women's Rights as Human Rights': Feminist Practices, Global Feminism, and Human Rights Regimes in Transnationality”. This paper shall analyze and discuss how Grewal applies previous theoretical concepts related to feminist discourse in order to offer a Transnationalist Feminist critique to the Global Feminist notion of Women's Rights as Human Rights.
Williams, Y 2003, ‘Retrieval Cues: Definition, Examples & Quiz’ Education portal, Veiwed on the 22nd of march 2014
At this point there is some type of requirement to carry a concealed weapon legally. If a concealed carry license (CCL) was to be compared to a driver’s license it would make things easier for comparison. A driver’s license only allows a person to drive a basic vehicle, a CCL allows a person to carry a concealed weapon in most places. If someone wanted to drive a tractor-trailer, bulldozer or even a school bus there is a special license endorsement for that. Why can the same concept not be done for concealed carry? If certain training is completed and tested, a concealed carry holder would be able to receive an endorsement for carry in certain places.
The most related terms when women’s right is brought up are feminism and feminist. A feminist, by definition, is someone the fights for feminism. The definition of feminism, one the other hand, is very complex. Throughout history, the word has continuously had bad images and connotations thrown its wa...
This essay will aim to discuss the relationship between Western Feminisms and International Feminisms as explored by various non-Western Feminists. It will aim to investigate the origins of this 'relationship ', the complexities/complications within it, evaluate how effective both paradigms are in the third wave and ultimately what is still needed to be done to create a transnational, intersectional feminist movement irrespective of the backgrounds of all women.
Susan Glaspell’s play, Trifles, may not be the best story to read and it may be confusing to some people, but it teaches the reader a great deal about how women were treated and how women were viewed during the early 1900’s. When analyzing the play from a feminist standpoint, Mrs. Wright’s motive for killing her husband becomes more clear and understandable to why she did it. Susan Glaspell gives the reader an idea of how men and women were treated during that time. In the next few paragraphs, I will use Susan Glaspell’s feminist approach to demonstrate how Mrs. Wrights murdering of her husband is completely justified.
On December 10th in 1948, the general assembly adopted a Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This declaration, although not legally binding, created “a common standard of achievement of all people and all nations…to promote respect for those rights and freedoms” (Goodhart, 379). However, many cultures assert that the human rights policies outlined in the declaration undermine cultural beliefs and practices. This assertion makes the search for universal human rights very difficult to achieve. I would like to focus on articles 3, 14 and 25 to address how these articles could be modified to incorporate cultural differences, without completely undermining the search for human rights practices.
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Human Development Report (2000) Human Rights and Human Development (New York) p.19 [online] Available from: [Accessed 2 March 2011]
Susan Glaspell was one of the first great American female playwrights. Her plays are often short, one or two acts, but they tell a story greater than just what appears on the page. Three of her plays, Trifles (1916), Women’s Honor (1918), and The Verge (1921), have feminist themes that show the consequences of the oppression of women, as is the case with many of her plays. All three plays were written during the first wave of feminism, during which there was a push for women to have jobs and opportunities and identities, ideas well represented in Glaspell’s plays. Glaspell’s plays show the struggle of being a woman during an era when women were trying to form their own identities. Through Glaspell’s use of feminist themes in Trifles, Women’s Honor, and The Verge, the social changes that women experienced in early twentieth century are explored as the women of her plays discover who they are and what they believe outside of what the patriarchy has determined.
The role that globalization plays in spreading and promoting human rights and democracy is a subject that is capable spurring great debate. Human rights are to be seen as the standards that gives any human walking the earth regardless of any differences equal privileges. The United Nations goes a step further and defines human rights as,