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Religion, Belief and Women’s Rights
“The courage and determination of women in the Middle East
and North Africa should be a source of inspiration for all of us, women and men
striving to achieve full respect for human rights in general, and the rights of
girls and women in particular,” High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay
said on 5 April in Atlanta, the United States.
“Wearing jeans, headscarves or the full hijab, with secular
or religious views, they were at the forefront of the demonstrations. They
claimed public space and public attention. They demanded change. They knew that
they were likely to suffer most from a perpetuation of the status quo,” she
said.
“We must support these women now, so that the space they
have claimed and gained through those protests remains wide open for them and
other groups at risk.”
“We must guard against the reassertion of discriminatory
practices and intolerance during the period of uncertainty which will be
inevitable during the political transition,” Pillay told participants at a
forum on “Religion, Belief and Women’s Rights” at the Carter Centre which took
place from 5 to 6 April.
She pointed out that “the dignity of all, regardless of sex
or background, is fundamental to all faiths and cultures. It is also the basis
of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”
“Traditions, beliefs and values change over time, and are
viewed and interpreted differently within societies. There are traditions of
hate, just as there are traditions of tolerance; traditions of repression, just
as there are traditions of liberation; and traditions of deprivation and
exclusion, just as there are traditions of social justice. These
contrasts can be found in the histories of all countries and of many systems of
belief.”
“Our task is to be squarely and unequivocally on the side of those
in every society who promote and defend human rights, to stand with those who
believe in human dignity and equality,” the High Commissioner stressed.
Read the full speech of the High Commissioner