Samantha Stevens
Soc 202
Prof. Sills
11/01/07

Culture, Religion No Excuse For Gender Inequality: London Guardian

Ms. Cherie Booth, a human rights lawyer and wife of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, raised many important questions and even more media attention this week when she spoke at the Chatham House in London. Ms. Booth said that culture and religion were not viable grounds for the unequal treatment of women.
Ms. Booth spoke on general grounds about those who use their culture or religion as an "excuse" for gender inequality. She then cited specific examples, such as new laws in Egypt that give men and women different rights for divorce and Orthodox Jewish culture that does not allow for a woman to divorce her husband without the husband's consent.

"We can be certain that the overwhelming majority of people in our country, along with legal experts and campaigners, would be appalled if they thought that such mistreatment was taking place within their family or local community. But what is striking is that there remain those who try to justify or excuse such discrimination and denial of human rights elsewhere by reference to different cultural or religious standards. We simply can't go along with this view," said Ms. Booth.

Ms. Booth caused quite a stir when she brought up the "Muslim veil," saying that she questioned whether or not a woman could be treated equally if her face was constantly covered. While Ms. Booth, (a Catholic) will undoubtedly be spurned by many religious factions, she did end her talk with saying that she thinks that religion could be a powerful tool in the fight for women's rights. She said that "Whatever their differences, all [religions] converge in their understanding of the irreducible worth of each human being."

While some may not agree with the entire scope of some of Ms. Booth's comments or opinions, I agree that the world has too long allowed the mistreatment of women by blaming it on a certain group's culture or religion. While everyone has the right to choose their believes and lifestyles, religious or otherwise, something must be done about the plight of women whose rights are basically nonexistant because of a cultural or religious bais towards men. Countries in the West can certainly do more about eradicating the gender inequality within their own nations, and thus hopefully start a global trend for the equal treatment of women.