HR100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Cultural Relativism, Reproductive Health, Dowry
Document Summary
Hr 100 eco & social rights iii: gender equality. Controversial as it is condoned by many states and cultures. Disagreement occurs even among proponents of hr on question whether states and cultures may legitimately sanction discrimination against women and sexual minorities in the name of state sovereignty or cultural relativism. Cultural relativism seems to resonate most strongly across cultures when it is used to justify discrimination against vulnerable groups. Feminist scholars argue that international law is biased against women in that it reinforces a private/public dichotomy. Laws are based on a rigid separation of the public sphere, in which the state is the dominant actor, and the private sphere, where individuals live their lives outside the scrutiny of the state. The human rights perspective historically has placed less emphasis on human rights abuses committed by non-state actors in the private sphere.
