Anti-CEDAW Demonstrators on the Streets

In addition to the first real life example already submitted, I wish to continue with anti-CEDAW demonstrators on the streets of Tonga and its irrelevancy on culture and equality.

Tonga’s culture is very strong where women are treated fairly higher than men. 

Given this example, the first article mentioned gender equality oversimplified which is the fixation of women’s privileges on cultural beliefs and hierarchy can be misleading, and since Tonga is culturally based proves the article that gender equality is distorted. So in relation to politics, organizations and churches, women are recognized and treated with honor but they are not part of the decision bodies. This is fabrication at best, where equality is challenging.

Figure 2: Demonstrators on the streets with their banners as anti-CEDAW.

The support of women during this demonstration is another shattering and depressing real life experience that I had.  How can they when they are the one that is impacted severely? They are definitely outcast in Tonga to fairness and justice. I was extremely furious with this contradiction. 

Academic sources for culture and inequality

The two academic sources for this week’s review are;

a)      Gender Equality Oversimplified: Using CEDAW to Counter the Measurement Obsession

b)      Unsex CEDAW? No! Super-sex it

The first article explains the ideas on the universal magnitudes of measuring gender equality develops initial identification on policy education and directing resources to tackle gendered disparities. The fabricated view of social ratification on gender equality according to Liebowitz and Zwinger is that CEDAW is being manipulated to measure the fixation that there is inequality on gender. It is argued that women’s privileges as linked to social processes and cultural beliefs can be a gender hierarchy and the recognition could be misleading.

The extensively acknowledgement of global control on realistic gender relationships can be hard to find, and Tonga can be in line with the preoccupation that these privileges are culturally based. However, given that perhaps it is oversimplified Tonga doesn’t use CEDAW to measure it but rather petition for its abolishment completely. There are nine measurements in the article that points equality indexes. The article also mention “I’m better than you” which in my opinion Tonga’s women is using as a tool for not agreeing with CEDAW fundamentals, but then Tonga is not better off because there are no women representatives at any levels of government.

The second article hashes out that women are not blessed with similar prospects as men. Men benefits the upper hand of opportunities that women don’t get. The article focuses on arguments that the approach should change from gender focus preferably to heavier emphasis on sex. The author agrees that CEDAW provides women with protection although the flawless CEDAW seems to be isn’t the whole picture that it paints it to be. Women still face the challenges that men treat them as not equal in work places or any other place. Tonga is experiencing the same thing women don’t receive the same opportunities.

Additionally, the United Nation’s CEDAW policy points out that women should have equal rights, opportunities, and evolution. Women’s progression globally is viewing as success to equality and proof that countries that are rectifying CEDAW are shifting to change. It further validates that women’s injustice and violence are caused by cultural influence and impenetrable traditions. Tonga’s women are outcast to fairness and justice because they are supported by culture and traditions and therefore are struggling with discrimination. There are no women representation at any higher levels of government.  

Culture and Inequality

The theme of culture and inequality in reference to the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women is important, when discussing the culture and inequality of women in a country, which recently petitioned government to reject the treaty on CEDAW. Culture in Tonga and their ways of life, is that women are treated higher than men, and they are regarded with highest honor and dignity. Their manners, values, and principles had been passed down from generation to generation. However, on the other hand there is inequality when it comes to wages parity, women representation, and decisions in the executive government bodies.

This is very contradicting when Tonga’s culture uplifts women in accordance with CEDAW principles, however the current practices bolster inequality. This is the reason why this theme was selected because the culture concurs with CEDAW ideologies, nonetheless there is inequality when it comes to power and decision making. There is evidence of abuse of women, women are not entitle to land, and there is misleading CEDAW information that women of Tonga are not aware of. The information from researching this theme would substantially leads to facts finding in order to advocate CEDAW in Tonga.     

CEDAW in Tonga - Real Life Reflection

This past summer, I was interning in Tonga. I was interning for the Ministry of Information, under Ministries of Meteorology, Environment, Information, Disaster, Energy, Communication and Climate Change (MEIDECC). I experienced CEDAW for the first time. One morning, the main street, Taufa’ahau Road in Nuku’alofa the capital city was buzzing with many people lining up on the sides of the street to witness thousands of people marching to the Parliament House to present their petition not to adopt CEDAW.

The discovery was that Tonga already accepted CEDAW without the approval of Parliament, without tabling to Privy Council for the King of Tonga to approve. The King is the only person allowed by law to sign any treaty. Instead, Tonga under the new democratic government during the session of the United Nations in New York in April informed this session that Tonga had rectified CEDAW and its adoption. This rectification came as a shock to the people of Tonga and their dissatisfaction was showed with some of the people of Tonga in collaboration with many women’s groups, church organizations, and non-governmental organizations marching the streets of Nuku’alofa against this new modification and petitioning to abolish this treaty completely. A few months later, His Majesty King Tupou VI rejected CEDAW.

In Tonga women are not entitle to inherit land. The gender issues versus policy process in the kingdom is that there is injustice with women entitling inheritance rights of land. In the government of Tonga, there is no woman in the Privy Council, no woman in parliament and cabinet, there is no woman in the judiciary system, and there is no woman in any ministerial portfolios of government. There is an imbalance of women’s equality in Tonga’s executive and decision bodies.

There was contradiction during this real life experience especially when most of the marchers on the streets were women. These women’s banners stated that; “CEDAW is evil”, “CEDAW is anti-Christ”, and “Tonga doesn’t need CEDAW”. These were few examples of banners that these women were holding during their march. One was amazed with the media buzz of CEDAW, where all seven local newspaper’s front page was on CEDAW, all three local televisions’ primetime programs were on CEDAW, and most of all radio stations debates were on CEDAW. The media frenzies were all against CEDAW.

Women of Tonga perhaps should support CEDAW especially when they have no representations at any of the executive branches of government.     

Additional Academic Review for Gender Issues versus Policy Process

The two articles for additional academic review are;

·         The Human Rights for all: CEDAW.

·         The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination

In trying to justify the “Gender Issues versus Policy Process”, each country is being left with the decision to sign the treaty with the United Nation’s Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). It is also each country’s decision to rectify this treaty. The United States of America already have human rights for women in place and they do not really need this treaty to prove that they are abiding with women’s rights issues because it has already existed.

The author of the first article confirms that the fundamental individual civil liberties, the nobility and merit of a human person must be that men and women are equal, this is their human rights. The human beings are instinctively equal when they are born whether as a man or as a woman. The proclamation have the same dignity and rights, and everyone is entitle to freedom without the distinction of sex. The author further clarifies that every international individuals is entitle to their human rights without the discrimination on the basis of sex.

It is easier said than done especially when the policy process doesn’t give every international individual that human rights and as proclaimed by the author thus contradicts with gender issues. Tonga is ruled by a king, and their daughters can become queen and rule the country if they are the only child. But then when it comes to nobles of the realms, it is not the case because daughters don’t get that privilege to become nobles if they are the only daughter, but rather it goes to the brother of the noble or the brother’s son. This is definitely discrimination.

The second article reports the many administrations that try to rectify the Convention here in the United States but remains unsuccessful. The attempts started from President Carter, to President Reagan, to President Bush and even to President Clinton and fails to get the approval of the House of Senate, and the Convention for over 25 years has been sitting with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The United States views discrimination against women as an issue and should be eradicated, and also understands the comprehensive worldwide discrimination against women should be forbidden. Their rectification on the convention shouldn’t be an issue though they support CEDAW completely. There is still gender issues in the United States with many policies already in place to counter discrimination. 

Tonga on the other hand is indeed very similar to the United States with the non-acceptance of CEDAW. King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV in the 1990’s wanted to sign this Convention but didn’t. King George Tupou V wanted the same thing five years ago but he passed away without signing the Convention. This year King Tupou VI rejected CEDAW completely. It remains that although Tonga is trying to challenge gender issues though no policy in place to hostage discrimination.

  

References:

1.      Milani, L.R. (2001) Human Rights for all: CEDAW. Washington D.C, Washington D.C. Print

Blanchfield, L. (2008). The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW): Congressional Issues for Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division. Retrieved from http://www.heinonline.org.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/HOL/Page?

Academic Source for Gender Issues versus Policy Process

There are two academic sources pick for the theme “Gender Issues versus Policy Process” are; firstly the “Treaty for the Rights of Women”, and secondly “The Treaty for Women’s Equality”. These two sources picked will be used separately with examples from the United States of America and also the Kingdom of Tonga.

Although the United States hasn’t sanctioned this treaty with the United Nations, however many if not most laws of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) already existed in the United States’ current enacted acts. According to the Amnesty International article on Treaty for the Rights of Women, CEDAW possibly ensue to authorize same-sex marriage. The United States had recently approved same-sex marriage in the federal level. The sanction of same-sex marriage wasn’t due to the rectification of CEDAW, but happened because the United States Supreme Court legalized it in June of this year.

The United States of America hasn’t legitimize CEDAW treaty to join other nations of about 187 that has fully ratified CEDAW.  There are many civil rights especially women’s rights that had been long legalized in the United States and most of all its legislations are well adopted and maintained in America. With that said, there is not much need for the United States to adopt a treaty that has been long standing in the women’s movement for equality.

In the Kingdom of Tonga the CEDAW treaty was passed at the Legislative Assembly although many women’s groups and groups from various churches marched the main street to abort this treaty. The King of Tonga decided not to approve this treaty. In accordance with the Treaty for Women’s Equality article who is in support of CEDAW mentioned that this treaty contains style of advocacy for women and girls. Two things were picked out of this article and they are domestic violence and inheritance rights.

There is a huge number of victims that suffer from domestic violence for both women and girls in Tonga. Women are not entitle to inheritance rights of land. One doesn’t understand as to why women’s groups march the streets of Tonga to seek non-approval and non-signage of the United Nation’s treaty on CEDAW, when domestic violence and rights to land of women are highly existed in Tonga. On the next assignment of “Real Life”, one will elaborate more on this issue with pictures and arguments that flooded the mass media of Tonga due to CEDAW.    

Gender Issues versus Policy Process

The theme of gender issues versus the policy process of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women. This is an international treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly described as the bill of rights for women. The world increase in population with more women than men, the trend of migration between countries, and social issues ratification led to the initiative of CEDAW globally.

The reason for choosing this theme is that the United States of America have endorsed CEDAW yet not sanctioned this international treaty. Although there are existing laws of gender equality, civil rights and the gender issues surrounding women in the United States, however the United States hasn’t confirmed its full participation with CEDAW.

One hopes to learn the policy guidelines of CEDAW during research. One also wish to dig deeper into the reasons as to why America hasn’t fully confirmed CEDAW to its legislation. Tonga agreed in principle and almost signed CEDAW though intervened by its King and didn’t authorize signage by the country. I am interested to study CEDAW to see the reasons why.