Social Stigma Surrounding Families and Careers

Although working women offer a greater income to support a family, young woman often put off marriages or having children to continue work with their career. In cultures that are family-centric, the working, independent woman poses a threat to their traditional way of life.³ Women are often criticized for apparently selfish actions that put themselves or their career over building a family and children. However, women who try to work with children and a family are seen as either neglectful of their children and husband’s needs or distracted from or not dedicated to their jobs because of the family responsibilities.

4. 
   Current Government Legislation Concerning Education
   

1. 
   Beijing Declaration, paras. 26-35. Promotes the provision of lifelong education for women and girls, including in literacy, training, and reproductive health.²
   
2. 
   Beijing Platform for Action, paras. 69, 80, 81, and 82. Takes measures to eliminate discrimination in education, close the gender gap in primary and secondary schools, provide universal primary education, ensure equal access to career development and training, and reduce the female illiteracy rate.²
   
3. 
   Agenda 21, Chapter 36, para. 3; Chapter 3, para. 2;Chapter 24, para. 3. Asks governments to take active steps to eliminate female illiteracy and promote the goal of universal access to primary and secondary education.²
   
4. 
   Copenhagen Declaration, Commitments 5 and 6. Establishes policies to eradicate illiteracy and bias in education, and emphasizes the importance of education for both boys and girls to develop them to their full capacities.²
   
5. 
   Habitat Agenda, paras. 2.36 and 3.43. Declares a commitment to rectify inequalities in education, declares education as fundamental for all people, and promotes the creation of facilities for education to combat discriminatory and exclusionary practices on the basis of gender or race.²
   
6. 
   World Declaration on Education for All, Preamble and Articles 1 and 3. States that education is a fundamental right and reiterates a priority towards ensuring access to, eliminating gender stereotyping within, and improving the quality of education for women and girls.²
   

• 
  What is your country’s approach to equal opportunity for education?
  
• 
  What economic factors affect access to education and careers?
  
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  What social structures or stigmas impede equal access to education or full benefit from education?
  
• 
  What standing plans or goals does your country have for the future? How have those been reached? How should they be changed?
  
• 
  What bargaining chips does your country have to persuade other nations to pay more attention to these issues? Ex: Trade embargoes, freezing assets, negotiations over other deals, etc.
  

Resource Guide

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  http://moe.gov.af/en: This link is for the education strategy and current updates to education in Afghanistan. It gives specific information regarding programs being run to government-mandated policy.
  

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  http://www.trustineducation.org/resources/life-as-an-afghan-woman/: This link gives relevant articles and facts about woman in Afghanistan. It also provides many different sources that can aid you in your research.
  

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  http://www.ungei.org/infobycountry/argentina_1059.html: This source is published through the United Nations Girls Education Initiative and focuses on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The work of two experts in the field of women rights is presented along with recommendations to improve the situation in Argentina.
  

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  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/27/argentinas-president-announces-plan-to-fight-violence-against-wo/: This source is published on The Telegraph and states the efforts of the Argentinian president to overcome the challenge to include and integrate women into the society. It also focuses on protecting women from violent attacks.
  

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  https://unwomen.org.au/our-work/focus-areas/women-peace-and-security/: This source is published through the National Committee Australia and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. It focuses on Women, Peace and Security and ensuring that women get empowered to influence post-conflict negotiations and actively participate in conflict prevention. It includes statistics and states the approaches of the UN.
  

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  http://www.wlia.org.au/research/grow-the-talent-pool-insights-on-gender-representation-in-property/: This source is published through the Women's Leadership Institute Austlia and produced in conjunction with the Property Council of Australia and Ernst & Young. The latest statistics about women entering and thriving in the property industry are stated in the report. It also includes profiles of influential women whose initiatives can be used as further reference for expanding women rights.
  

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  http://www.ipea.gov.br/portal/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12893: Good general reference source outlining gender and race inequalities with multiple references to relevant documents. Obviously focus on the gender inequalities for this specific research, and the page is originally in Portuguese as almost all-Brazilian government documentation is.
  

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  http://iknowpolitics.org/en/knowledge-library/opinion-pieces/brazil-way-gender-equality: This source outlines the gender inequality problem that is still very much a reality today. The article then proceeds to explain Brazilian legislation that has taken steps towards solving the issue in recent years. Included at the bottom are various links to government articles that are cited within the article, including the idea article above.
  

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  http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTENBREVE/Newsletters/21455235/Apr07_105_GenderChile_EN.pdf: This report from the World Bank examines the contradictions in gender equality in Chile from an economic standpoint. The nation has one of the lowest rates of female participation in the labor force in all of Latin America and the Caribbean. However, with the election of female president Michelle Bachelet, Chile has the potential to "expand women’s contributions to their country and economy."
  

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  http://www.coha.org/message-to-president-bachelet-chilean-women-are-still-left-behind/: This is a more recent article from the Council on Hemispheric Affairs, an independent research nonprofit. It reinforces the notion that President Bachelet can still do more to promote equality for her own gender. This is a good source to examine gender equality from a more cultural standpoint, as it discusses the traditional sexist norms that persist in Chilean society.
  

• 
  https://web.archive.org/web/20111229231641/http://www.china-un.ch/eng/bjzl/t210715.htm: This is publication from the Chinese Mission to the United Nations in Geneva. It provides the state perspective on ways to promote gender equality within the nation, as well as a summary of the position of women in the Chinese economy, education, and political proceedings. It is very comprehensive in describing the way Chinese society regards women today.
  

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  http://www.voanews.com/a/womens-rights-activists-face-hope-challenges-in-china/3398330.html: This recent article from the Voice of America News discusses the "misleading" (nature) of the number Chinese women included on the Forbes list of the wealthiest women in the world. This list includes only a tiny fraction of the women in China (13): in reality, China still has a large gender pay gap and high domestic abuse rates. Overall, the source is a good overview of what rights Chinese women already have, and what they still need.
  

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  http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=54562#.V6CYBTmDFHw: A very recent report from the UN News Centre outlining the importance of women's rights and gender equality in achieving piece for Colombia after a 51 year civil conflict. Gender provisions of a peace agreement highlight political participation of all women in Colombia and empowerment for victims of sexual violence. In particular, focus has shifted to the rights of often abused and forgotten rural women. The article ends with the notion that in order for civil peace to occur, there must be civic participation of both men and women.
  

• 
  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-morningside-post/colombias-gender-problem_b_4357321.html: This editorial comes from The Huffington Post and summarizes prominent gender inequities in Colombia. Most prominent are issues of sexual abuse, domestic violence, and overall disenfranchisement of women in a heavily patriarchal culture. Colombian women face issues of stereotypes and often receive blame when trying to bring up such topics as victims. Ultimately, Colombia has made very little progress towards empowering women in its own country as their is an abundance of gender inequality still present.
  

• 
  https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2015/country-chapters/north-korea: This report specifically outlines human rights abuses that North Korea constantly commits. Although women are not highlighted in particular, it always distinguishes how women are treated under particular circumstances i.e. treason, outside contact, unpatriotic behavior etc. This report gives a good overview of the current human rights conditions in North Korea in general which provides valuable context for taking up their position.
  

• 
  https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/14/north-korean-sexism-women: This source is from the Guardian in which they ask questions to a North Korean defector regarding women’s rights within North Korea. The article focuses mainly on how North Korea pushed for women’s rights, mainly not for their betterment, but in order to get them to work for the good of state.
  

• 
  http://congowomen.org/essays/the-democratic-republic-of-congo-economic-conditions-and-women/: This essay details the economic conditions of the DRC that contribute to the disparity in the treatment of women. It maintains that despite a wealth of natural resources, women are treated poorly due to disputes over control of aforementioned resources.
  

• 
  http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/true-stories/democratic-republic-of-congo-the-worst-place-in-the-world-to-be-a-woman/news-story/e8ee02223f7ab6003314c77d70923fc8: This article, published by Australia News, summarizes a report compiled by Caritas Australia, a nonprofit dedicated to eradicating violence against women. The article presents several startling statistics, thereby explaining its assertion that the DRC is the worst place in the world for women. The article is effective in providing both objective and anecdotal evidence, as well as conveying several potential solutions.
  

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  http://www.sis.gov.eg/En/Templates/Categories/tmpSearchResult.aspx: Search results for the key word “women” on an Egyptian government information website. There is a good collection of articles about women's rights progress that Egypt is focusing on. Amongst the articles there will be various that are not entirely relevant to the issue of women's rights but those are accompanied by a good amount of contemporary women's rights news.
  

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  http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/09/opinion/09iht-edalaswany09.html?_r=0: An opinion piece elaborating on the women's rights issues in Egypt. It includes opinions and summaries of the development of women's rights issues over time in Egypt and how various political events influenced those rights.
  

• 
  http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/french-foreign-policy/human-rights/women-s-rights/: This link is for France's foreign policy webpage with an official press release for women's rights on International W2omen's Day. It describes France's global action; actions within the UN, actions within the EU, and a strategy to place more focus on women's rights in French policy. The article also includes useful links to French and UN publications and convention statements.
  

• 
  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2012/10/25/why-french-women-have-so-little-equality-a-story-in-charts/: This link is a Washington Post article that describes the social oppression of French women as opposed to political freedoms. It provides some charts depicting comparative gender equality across the world by major countries and references to other helpful articles. It describes French women’s' experiences as being deemed a biological role as the mother/housewife rather than an individual
  

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  http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/Aussenpolitik/Menschenrechte/Frauenrechte/MR-Frauen_node.html: This Federal Foreign Office article summarizes Germany's efforts to improve women's international rights. Past achievements include signing the "Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women" (CEDAW), and UNSC Resolutions 1325 and 1820 on Women. The source also lists human rights projects that the Foreign Office supports. These are not the only projects associated with Germany, but are central to the Federal Foreign Office itself.
  

• 
  http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/IDAN/2015/510025/IPOL_IDA(2015)510025_EN.pdf: The Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) commissioned this thorough analysis. The addressed aspects of women’s rights include political participation, the labor market, and private lives of women. Helpful areas of the analysis are the executive summary, section 1.1, and the “Key Findings” box in sections 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3. For more specific information on these issues, continue reading underneath the “Key Findings” boxes.
  

• 
  http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/note/join/2013/493028/IPOL-FEMM_NT(2013)493028_EN.pdf: This Document is from the European Parliament from its Policy Department, which deals with Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs and mentions Greece’s policies on gender equality since the 1980s. This document talks about the employment of women, their health, and violence against women, their role in decision-making and work and family reconciliation.
  

• 
  http://www.greekboston.com/culture/modern-history/rights-of-women/: This link is a great way to gather some information about the issue of Women’s Rights in Greece but from a source other than the government. This source talks about women right to vote, women in public office and much more about the roles of women.
  

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  https://eng.velferdarraduneyti.is/departments/gender-equality/: The following source is from Iceland's Ministry of Welfare. It offers a timeline of documentation on Iceland's actions taken towards gender equality as well as specific policy actions such as gender mainstreaming. It further offers a list of references that refer to the stepping-stones leading to the current system.
  

• 
  https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/28/iceland-women-feminist-paradise-gender-gap-pay: This article originates from The Guardian and describes Iceland's current standing in regards to women's rights. Although Iceland is ranked number one in the world in gender equality, there is still a strong "need for improvement" as "women are not equal to men". This article also highlights the complexities behind each statistical ranking, presenting the "social reality".
  

• 
  http://www.wcd.nic.in/: This is India's women’s ministry of women and child development. This source discusses what India is doing in order to improve women rights and their conditions.
  

• 
  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sarah-degnan-kambou/safer-cities-indias-women_b_5512714.html: This article describes the violence that women and girls in India encounter and other issues surrounding women’s rights.
  

Iran

• 
  http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/70/352: This is a report on the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran submitted by the United Nations' General Assembly in its 70th session. The report details the situation of women (in Section D of part I) in Iran, addressing child marriage, the right to education, women in public life, and family planning (access and education in regards to contraception, abortion, etc...). The report, in section III, also describes Iran's responses to the UN report, and in Section IV, outlines recommendations for Iran on how to improve its Human Rights situation. Overall, the report provides a detailed overview of issues that affect women in Iran that may impede their ability to become self-sufficient as well as the Iranian government's actions regarding such issues.
  

• 
  http://nytlive.nytimes.com/womenintheworld/2016/01/06/womens-rights-activists-in-iran-increasingly-face-jail-time-amid-cultural-crackdown/: This article by the New York Times describes the plight of women's rights activists in Iran and the Iranian government's position regarding women's rights. The article notes addresses impediments to female self-sufficiency in Iran such as the shortened hours a woman is allowed to work, or prohibiting women from working in environments where men also work.
  

• 
  http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/note/join/2014/493052/IPOL-FEMM_NT(2014)493052_EN.pdf: This document originates form the parliament of the European Union. It gives in depth summary of Italy's policies as well as an executive summary and background information. The source also provides helpful information on women's rights and advocacy in Italy's history. It also outlines reasons to Italy's poor ranking in the bottom six for women's rights in the EU.
  

• 
  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/01/opinion/lweb01italy.html?_r=0: This editorial originates from the New York Times and was written by an Italian journalist and women's rights advocate. The piece outlines the recent activities pertaining to women's rights in Italy as well as exposes sexism found in the Italian government and society as a whole. It also notes the struggles faced by women in Italy due to a patriarchal culture, but highlights progress towards breaking the glass ceiling.
  

• 
  http://www.mofa.go.jp/files/000016518.pdf: This document from the Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs provides a concise overview of the policies that Japan is taking towards achieving gender equality. Initiatives include universal health care, partnering with non-governmental organizations, and implementing legislation focused on providing resources for victims of sexual violence. Many propositions featured in this source could be extrapolated internationally.
  

• 
  http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/03/14/national/politics-diplomacy/u-n-committee-riled-japan-criticism-womens-rights/#.V5wm9rQ9Ui4: This article from the Japan Times delineates how a recent United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women delivered an unfavorable report on Japan. While the report acknowledged that Japan has taken some action to attempt to achieve gender equality, there are still some major issues with policy. An example of this is forced sterilization of disabled persons, which is elaborated on in the article.
  

• 
  http://www.genderindex.org/country/jordan: This website is a social institutions and gender index that has recent qualitative and quantitative information on Jordan's movement towards gender equality in the workplace, within the family, physically, with regard to assets, and with civil liberties. It also contains a very helpful list of scholarly sources and other areas to gain more information.
  

• 
  http://www.albawaba.com/news/women-jordan-are-more-educated-ever-%E2%80%94-they-still-arent-working-666136: This article is an editorial from a Jordan newspaper (Albawba) that describes the various societal expectations that make the integration of educated women into the work force so difficult. These problems include a lack of a support system, stringent gender roles, a failure of the education system to prepare for the workplace, and a culture of shame surrounding careers for women. The article also addresses what should be done to move forward and acknowledges how difficult it is to move past societal boundaries