(1) Men and women of full age have the right to marry and found a family without restriction based on race, nationality or religion. They enjoy equal rights with regard to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution. [265] Women`s reproductive rights were recognized by the Supreme Court in the 1960s and 1970s, repealing a hundred years of laws restricting birth control and prohibiting legal abortion. In the 1980s and 1990s, however, the court withdrew and allowed states to restrict abortion. In many countries around the world, women are deprived of their rights on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender characteristics. Until marriage, women were under the guardianship of their father or another male relative. Once married, the husband became a woman`s Kyrios. Since women were excluded from court proceedings, the Kyrios did so on their behalf. [14] Athenian women could only acquire property rights through gifts, dowries, and inheritances, although their kyrios had the right to dispose of a woman`s property. [15] Athenian women could only enter into a contract with a value less than the value of a « medimno of barley » (a measure of grain), which allowed women to enter the retail trade. [14] Women were excluded from the ancient Athenian democracy, both in principle and in practice. Slaves could become Athenian citizens after their liberation, but no woman ever acquired citizenship in ancient Athens. [16] Mill, then a Member of Parliament, argued that women deserved the right to vote, although his proposal to replace the term « man » with « person » in the Second Reform Bill of 1867 was ridiculed in the House of Commons and defeated by a vote of 76 to 196.
Her arguments found little support among her contemporaries,[117] but her attempt to amend the Reform Act drew more attention to the question of women`s suffrage in Britain. [118] Initially one of many campaigns for women`s rights, the right to vote became the main concern of the British women`s movement in the early 20th century. [119] At the time, the choice was limited to wealthy landowners under the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom. This regulation implicitly excluded women, as property law and marriage law granted men property rights in marriage or inheritance until the 19th century. But the traditional restriction of women in public life, as well as hostility towards independent women, remained. [55] The greater influence of Greek culture contributed to a strict attitude that women`s role was domestic and not public. [55] There was also a growing tendency for women who were not prostitutes, slaves, or artists to be completely veiled. [55] As in earlier Roman law, women could not be legal witnesses, hold administrations, or conduct banking transactions, but they could still inherit property and own land. [55] In Saudi Arabia, for example, there was recently a successful campaign for women to drive, which had previously been banned for decades. But despite this unprecedented victory, the authorities continue to persecute and imprison scores of women`s rights activists simply for peacefully defending their rights. The Supreme Court has upheld numerous challenges based on gender discrimination, making equal rights under the law mandatory. It has enshrined the right to equality in survivor benefit legislation (Weinberger v.
Wiesenfeld, 420 U.S. 636, 95 pp. Ct. 1225, 43 L. Ed. 2d 514 [1975]), alimony (Orr v. Orr, 440 U.S. 268, 99 pp. Ct. 1102, 59 L. Ed. 2d 306 [1979]), sex-disaggregated life tables (City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power v.
Manhart, 435 U.S. 702, 98 pp. Ct. 1370, 55 L. Ed. 2d 267 [1978]) and pensions (Arizona Governing Committee v. Norris, 463 U.S. 1073, 103 pp.
Ct. 3492, 77 L. Ed. 2d 1236 [1983]). And in Sierra Leone, Amnesty International works with local communities as part of its human rights education programme, which focuses on a range of human rights issues, including female genital mutilation. Before and during biblical times, the role of women in society was severely limited. [65] Nevertheless, the Bible gives women the right to represent themselves in court,[66]:56–62, the capacity to contract,[66]:63–67, and the right to buy, own, sell, and inherit property. [66]: 63-80 The Bible guarantees women the right to have sexual relations with their husbands[67][68] and commands husbands to feed and clothe their wives.
[67] [68] The violation of these Old Testament rights by a polygamous man gave the woman grounds for divorce:[67][68] « If he marries another woman, he must not deprive the former of her food, clothing and matrimonial rights. If he does not provide her with these three things, let her be set free without paying money » (Exodus 21:10–11). In the United States, the National Organization for Women (NOW) was founded in 1966 with the goal of achieving equality for all women. NOW was an important group fighting for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). This amendment states that « equality of rights before the law shall not be denied or restricted by the United States or any other state on the basis of sex. » [247] However, there was disagreement as to how the proposed amendment should be understood. Proponents believed it would guarantee equal treatment for women. However, critics feared that this would deprive women of the right to be financially supported by their husbands. The amendment died in 1982 because too few states had ratified it.Electronic reverse auctions have been included in subsequent congresses, but have not yet been ratified. [248] Violence against women is a serious human rights violation. It is a state`s responsibility to protect women from gender-based violence – including domestic violence behind closed doors. Freedom of movement is an essential right recognised by international instruments, including Article 15(4) of CEDAW. [174] Nevertheless, in many parts of the world, this right is severely restricted by law or in practice.