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Excerpt:
D. Application of a Gender
Perspective
26. In 2002, the previous
mandate-holder submitted a comprehensive study on freedom of religion or belief
and the status of women from the viewpoint of religion and traditions
(E/CN.4/2002/73/Add.2) in which he noted that many forms of discrimination against
women were based on or attributed to religion, tolerated by the State and in
some cases enshrined in legislation. At the heart of this problem lies the fact
that discriminatory and harmful practices against women, such as female genital
mutilation, polygamy, discrimination related to inheritance, sacred
prostitution, general preference to have boys, are often perpetrated by
individuals or communities who perceive them as a religious obligation or as
being part of their freedom to manifest their religion or belief. However, the
previous mandate-holder argued that religions have not invented discriminatory
and harmful practices against women; rather, these practices are mainly
attributable to a cultural interpretation of religious precepts......The previous
mandate-holder emphasized that, while certain traditional practices have
ancestral origins, the Government nevertheless remains responsible to protect
women from discriminatory practices perpetrated by individuals or communities
on its territory.
28. The Special Rapporteur has sent
joint communications with other special procedures mandate-holders - such as
the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
and the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and
children - on cases where women suffer from discrimination on the grounds of
gender and religion or belief. In addition, several of her recent country
reports include subchapters on the specific situation of women. In these
reports, she refers to discriminatory and harmful practices against women,
including honour killings, polygamy, marriage of underage girls and prohibition
or coercion to wear religious symbols. She has also devoted particular
attention to religion-based personal laws, in particular in the areas of
divorce, inheritance, custody of children and transmission of citizenship.
__________________________________________________________________
This Report refers to a
"comprehensive Study on Freedom of Religion or Belief and the Status of
Women from the Viewpoint of Religion and Traditions..."
Direct Link to Original Study UN
Report in French:
Direct Link to Study Summary
(unofficial) in English:
___________________________________________________________________
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Distr. GENERAL A/HRC/10/8 6 January 2009 Original: ENGLISH |
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
Tenth Session
Agenda Item 3
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