Enforcing women’s rights under the Arab Charter on human rights 2004

Almutawa, Ahmed; Magliveras, Konstantinos

Abstract

The article begins with the presentation of evidence indicating that a number of member states of the League of the Arab States (LAS), namely, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Libya, have failed to implement women’s rights set forth in the Arab Charter on Human Rights adopted in 2004. Thereafter, it discusses the public perceptions of gender roles in LAS member states and argues that they are a principal reason for the lack of proper enforcement of the Charter. Next, the article asserts that the way towards its proper application and enforcement lies in changing the current perceptions of gender roles in the Arab world by launching governmental initiatives aimed at embedding its values in the minds of the people, and discusses several such initiatives. If LAS member states were to raise awareness among the population regarding women’s rights, this, in turn, would lead to spontaneous activism, i.e. the population will gather naturally in peaceful assembly and form associations to defend and uphold them. Such activism will further affirm women’s rights as enshrined in the Charter.

Citation

Almutawa, A., & Magliveras, K. (2021). Enforcing women’s rights under the Arab Charter on human rights 2004. The International Journal of Human Rights, 25(8), 1258-1284. https://doi.org/10.1080/13642987.2020.1822334

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 7, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Sep 17, 2020
• Publication Date: Sep 14, 2021
• Deposit Date: Nov 11, 2024
• Journal: The International Journal of Human Rights
• Print ISSN: 1364-2987
• Electronic ISSN: 1744-053X
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 25
• Issue: 8
• Pages: 1258-1284
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13642987.2020.1822334
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/3091245