å Wednesday, April 12th, 2017

The Resolution Thirteen Twenty Five that was passed by the Security Council on October Thirty First Two Thousand. The Security Council’s responsibility was to provide security and peace. This Resolution’s main focus was to have women be included in times on conflict. The Resolution embodied they idea that women should be able to participate in times of war and/or conflict as peace keepers. Women were not being utilized to their full potential during times of conflict and war. Most women became victims of rape and suffered immensely during times of war and conflict to other sexual abuses. Women’s ideas were unappreciated and devalued during times of war and/or conflict, they were also underutilized during prewar and post war and/or conflicts.  Resolution Thirteen Twenty Five helped unite women in all areas of the world because it provided them with the tools they needed to become active and valued individuals in times of war and conflict. They could now be part of the United Nations negotiations for peace and security efforts for their countries. By including women in these negotiations the hope is to provide peace and protection for them during times of war and conflict. Once the Resolution women’s groups were able to receive reliable support both financially and technically. In other words it forced the Security Counsel in Afghanistan “to put their money, where their mouth is” for lack of a better term. They had step up and provide support not just take about providing support. With the Resolution Thirteen Twenty Five other countries like Africa also began to slowly integrate women into negotiations and peace making decisions. After two thousand one backed NGO women’s groups by re enforcing the idea of empowering women by having countries nominate them for leadership positions. They wanted to increase women’s role in matters of protection, peace and security. With the creation and implementation of Resolution Thirteen Twenty Five Non Governmental Organization Women’s groups have been working together to provide protection and security for girls and women during times war and/or conflict. For example they are creating peace operations for gender justice and refugee children and women. With the technical support these NGO women groups are now receiving they are able to navigate and work on the PeaceWomen.org website that was launched on October thirty first two thousand and one. This site further helps to unite women around the world in working together on matters of peace

My name is Jacklyn Hernandez, this is my first semester at CWE 2017, my majors are Early Childhood Education, I would like to someday become a teacher for young children at a public school. For many years I can admit that I’ve turned a blind eye when it came to women rights and human rights in general. I did not want to admit that there was and is injustice that is becoming tragically. As I chose this course, I plan to learn and become educated about our rights as humans, and more importantly women rights, as I know that because for many years since rights for women was never an option and we now have the privilege to a certain extent I would like to understand its history and how changes came about to now. I’ am very appreciative to have the privilege that I have now, but I sometimes question, am I settling for less?

During my reading of “Inventing Human Rights” by Lynn Hunt (2007), I found it difficult to really understand that a man like Thomas Jefferson, a once slave-owner, member of the Founding Fathers and author of the Declaration of Independence 1776 would state “we hold these truths the be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” (15), but Hunt, experts and philosopher would argue that this statement did not involve everyone. This so called human rights yet limited women, slave men and free slave men, children, the disabled and the lower class people, if not excluded them. Another point Hunt questions when it comes to Jefferson statement “we hold these truths to be self-evident” is that it is extremely difficult to say, especially during a time where women and blacks had no saying, and era where slave was a major issues, they were partially either owned, or wives to someone who probably had those rights.

I can agree and understand, like Lynn Hunt and many people today may argue that although the laws are written for “everyone” those laws do not actually apply to everyone. The blacks and Hispanic and immigrants are constantly violated either by the police department, the government and now president, women still continue to face issues when it comes equality. What I find inhumane is how human beings can be defined, divided inhumanely. Many declarations have tried to declare human rights yet made no difference, written but not played.

After reading Sally Engle Merry article ” Rights Talk and the Experience of Law: Implementing Women’s Human Rights to Protection from Violence” was a very interesting article because many of us are aware of domestic violence that often occur in marriages, but as for myself I did not realize depth of when a battered women/wife now turns to the legal system for protection of self right from such violence.

Merry argues and points out many good points, she focuses her arguments on battered women (that are in violent marriage or relationships receiving physical abuse) and that such issues battered women’s movement relies on the criminal justice that would become a component to an activism that would automatically allow these victims to view and acknowledge their violation towards them as a crime and turn to the legal system for help and guidance. Merry argues that battered women are hesitant to report these crimes due to the fact that most family are deeply rooted, that when the women reports the crime she automatically chooses to the ‘right define self’ which changes the identity for the man and women, but more importantly the women. Instead of being defined by her husband and the family, the wife will then be self-protected by the state of law-becoming an individual rights.

Because this is not the norm for women that are in rooted family, she can feel pressured by the kin to feel bad for trying or potentially to take away her partner masculinity. Or if she backs down from reporting such violation she would appear to be a difficult wife or even a bad victim.

Merry states that without the participation of these victims in the identification of the violence, it become difficult for movement activist to be unable to further their social forms. Interactions with workers from the law enforcement, courts, shelter workers is affective to how far a victim is willing tot are on this new identity. Merry would also point out the challenges these victims may face, such as what if the prosecutor of the courts system do not take the case serious-at the same time not taking the victim serious, or what if the police are friendly to the man, failing to arrest him or if the judges suggest the offense is not as serious. Such experience can weaken the woman’s willingness to take these rights that is presented to her and assert them. If her rights are treated unimportant she may choose to give up and no longer think about her self rights.

Based on Merry’s research, one of her focuses was in Hawaii, directly in towns where her interviewers has had experienced with family court/district court, and participation in a court mandated battered intervention program women’s support group. In a town called Hilo, a feminist group started a shelter program in 1978, and in 1986 they would work with battered women, supporting them. In this very own town cases of violence against women had expanded, hundreds to thousands of many reports of  arrest and  physical abuse were reported, this showed a major increased of women reaching out for help, because there was a system there to help them.

Based on gender man/woman, economic statues, marital status, religion and local (especially if the location is a poor area) when reporting these violence from the partner, the wife takes on a new subject position, where the man masculinity is challenged and more importantly for him his control over her.

Because the legal system allow women for once to be protected and gain self right towards violence from their partners this allows the women to take a step forward.