Using human rights to change tradition : traditional practices harmful to women's reproductive health in sub-Saharan Africa / Corinne A.A. Packer.
2002
JX4263.P3 Af841 2002 (Map It)
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Details
Author
Title
Using human rights to change tradition : traditional practices harmful to women's reproductive health in sub-Saharan Africa / Corinne A.A. Packer.
Published
Antwerpen ; New York : Intersentia, [2002]
Copyright
©2002
Call Number
JX4263.P3 Af841 2002
ISBN
9050952267
Description
xiii, 259 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.
System Control No.
(OCoLC)921017165
Note
A revision of the author's thesis (doctoral)--Utrecht University.
Bibliography, etc. Note
Includes bibliographical references (pages 231-248) and index.
Record Appears in
Portion of Title
Traditional practices harmful to women's reproductive health in sub-Saharan Africa
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
v
Glossary of Acronyms and Abbreviations
xiii
ch. I
Introduction
1
1.
The Purpose of the Study
1
2.
Defining the Parameters of the Study
2
2.1.
The Socio-Cultural Determinants of Women's Reproductive Health
2
2.2.
Human Rights as a Tool for Social Change
2
2.3.
Women, Reproductive Health and Harm from Traditional Practices
3
2.4.
The Region of Sub-Saharan Africa
5
3.
The State of Challenges to Harmful Traditional Practices
9
4.
The Structure of the Study
13
ch. II
The Harmful Traditional Practices in Question and Supporting Customs and Norms
17
1.
Introduction
17
2.
Traditional Practices Harmful to Women's Reproductive Health
18
2.1.
Female Circumcision
18
2.2.
Early Marriage (Early Sexual Activity and Pregnancy)
25
2.3.
Dietary Taboos during Pregnancy and Lactation
28
2.4.
Practices Relating to Childbirth
29
2.5.
Incisions in Pregnant Women
30
2.6.
Female Religious Bondage
31
3.
Customs and Norms Bolstering Traditional Practices Harmful to Women
31
3.1.
Authority of the Husband and Spousal Violence
31
3.2.
Extended-Family-Household Structure
32
3.3.
Kinship Influence and Intervention in the Name of Lineage
34
3.4.
Son Preference
35
3.5.
Polygyny
36
3.6.
Extra-Marital Sexual Activity
38
3.7.
Brideprice (Bridewealth)
40
3.8.
Levirate (Wife Inheritance) Marriage
41
3.9.
Abduction for Purposes of Rape, Impregnation and Marriage
42
4.
Norms Influencing Fertility
42
4.1.
Universal Marriage
43
4.2.
Ideal Family Size
43
5.
The Culture of Silence and Superstition
44
6.
Combined Customs Contributing to HIV/AIDS Infection
46
7.
Conclusions
48
ch. III
The Rights in Question
49
1.
Introduction
49
2.
Situating Harmful Traditional Practices within the Framework of International Human Rights Law
49
2.1.
The Obligations of the State in General
49
2.2.
The Obligations of the State Particular to Harmful Traditional Practices
53
3.
Determining Human Rights Violations by the Nature of the Practice
57
3.1.
The Right to Health
58
3.1.1.
The Inseparability of the Rights to Life and Health
59
3.1.2.
Grey Areas
60
3.2.
The Right to Freedom from Discrimination on the Basis of Gender
61
3.2.1.
Grey Areas
62
3.3.
The Right to Freedom from Violence
63
3.3.1.
Grey Areas
67
3.3.2.
Moving Away from the Blanket Gender-Violence Approach
69
3.3.3.
A Word on `Global' Ideologies on Gender and Feminism
70
3.4.
The Rights to Freedom of Thought, Belief, Opinion and Expression
74
3.4.1.
Grey Areas
75
3.5.
The Right to Education
77
3.6.
The Right to Choose One's Spouse
78
3.7.
The Right to Found a Family
78
4.
Conclusions
79
ch. IV
The Theoretical Value of the Human Rights Approach
81
1.
Introduction
81
2.
Over Two Millennia of Theorizing on Human Rights and Moral Wrongs
84
2.1.
The Debate in Antiquity
84
2.2.
The Debate in the Era of Enlightenment
86
2.3.
Contemporary Relativist Arguments
88
3.
Other Factors Influencing Relativism
89
4.
Resolving the Differences
94
4.1.
The Pluralist Perspective
96
5.
Have We Over-Theorized?
97
6.
Cross-Cultural Normative Judgements
99
6.1.
Inevitable Cultural Evaluations
100
6.2.
A Model for Understanding
102
7.
Closing the Circle
107
ch. V
Assessing the African Charter as a Tool for Social Change
109
1.
Introduction
109
2.
Deriving Insight from the Travaux Preparatoires
110
3.
Deriving Insight from the African Commission
111
4.
Deriving Insight from the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child
114
5.
Deriving Insight from Scholarly Argumentation and Interpretation
115
5.1.
The General Situation of Women's Rights
115
5.2.
Clauses Protecting the African Family, Morals and Traditional Values
116
5.2.1.
Clauses on the Protection of the Family
117
5.2.2.
Clauses on the Protection of African Morals and Traditional Values
120
6.
Deriving Insight from the Unique History and Outlook of the African Region
123
7.
Special Measures to Improve the Protection of Women's Rights
123
7.1.
Draft Additional Protocol on Women's Rights
124
7.2.
Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women
127
7.3.
Considering Alternative Measures
127
8.
The Verdict
129
ch. VI
Practical Limitations on the Human Rights Approach
131
1.
Introduction
131
2.
Commonly Recommended Strategies and Their Presumed Influence
132
3.
Re-evaluating the Impact of Human Rights Education
134
4.
Questioning the Empowering Force of Human Rights
137
5.
Women's Groups and Power
139
5.1.
Theories on Women's Groups and Empowerment
139
5.2.
Some Challenging Evidence
139
6.
Formal Education and Social Change
143
6.1.
Theories on Education, Reproductive Health and Empowerment
143
6.2.
Some Challenging Evidence
144
7.
Critical Assessments of the Value of Law and Rights in Africa
149
7.1.
Structural Impediments in the Use of Law
149
7.2.
Cultural Impediments in the Use of Law
150
7.3.
Psychological Impediments in the Use of Law
151
7.4.
Recognizing the Limitations of Legislation
153
8.
Conclusions
155
ch. VII
Drawing Lessons from Successful and Failed Challenges to Traditional Practices
157
1.
Introduction
157
2.
Chinese Footbinding
158
2.1.
The Practice
158
2.2.
Its Demise
159
3.
Sati (Widow Burning) in India
161
3.1.
The Practice
161
3.2.
Its Demise
163
4.
Some African State Initiatives to End Female Circumcision
165
4.1.
Egypt
165
4.2.
Kenya
165
4.3.
The Sudan
167
5.
Lessons Drawn
168
5.1.
Positive Lessons
168
5.1.1.
The Importance of Local Leadership and Support of Opinion Leaders
168
5.1.2.
Gaining Public Support for Eradication as the Primary Measure
169
5.1.3.
The Role of Outsiders
170
5.2.
Negative Lessons
170
5.2.1.
Prioritizing Legislation as a Measure
170
5.2.2.
Admissibility under Certain Forms or Circumstances
171
5.2.3.
Penalizing Those Already Penalized
172
5.2.4.
The Persistent Potential of Regression
173
6.
Some Key Differences and Their Possible Implications
173
ch. VIII
Key Agents of Change and the Role of the African State
175
1.
Introduction
175
2.
Determining the Most Appropriate Role for the State
175
3.
Indigenous Mechanisms
180
3.1.
Customary (Family) Law
180
3.2.
Religion and Traditional Indigenous Belief Systems
182
3.2.1.
Alternative Initiation Rites and the Role of Ceremonial Leaders
186
3.3.
The Relationship between the State and Indigenous Mechanisms
188
4.
The Media and Other Mechanisms of Communication
189
5.
The Roles of Other Actors
190
5.1.
Local Interest Groups and Concerned NGOs
190
5.2.
Ordinary men
191
5.3.
The Monitoring Bodies of the International Human Rights Treaties
194
5.4.
Donors
194
5.5.
Women's Rights Advocates, Legal Aid and the Legal Profession
195
6.
Conclusions
196
ch. IX
Summary and Conclusions
199
1.
Summary
199
2.
Conclusions
205
2.1.
The Utility and Effectiveness of the Human Rights Approach
205
2.2.
General Recommendations
208
Annexes
Annex A
Relevant Excerpts of Interpretations by Treaty Bodies
211
I.
CEDAW's General Recommendation No. 14 concerning Harmful Traditional Practices (1990)
211
II.
CEDAW's General Recommendation No. 19 on Violence against Women (1992)
212
III.
CEDAW's General Recommendation No. 21 regarding Equality in Marriage and Family Relations (1994)
214
IV.
The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights' General Comment No. 14 on Health (2000)
216
Annex B
Relevant Excerpts of Statements and Strategies from Declaratory Documents
217
I.
Declaration of Mexico on the Equality of Women, World Conference on the International Women's Year (United Nations, 1975)
217
II.
Nairobi Forward-Looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, World Conference on the United Nations Decade for Women (United Nations, 1985)
217
III.
Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, World Conference on Human Rights (United Nations, 1993)
218
IV.
Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women (United Nations, 1993)
218
V.
Cairo Programme of Action, International Conference on Population and Development (United Nations, 1994)
219
VI.
Copenhagen Declaration, World Summit for Social Development (United Nations, 1995)
222
VII.
Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, World Conference on Women (United Nations, 1995)
222
VIII.
Draft Addis Ababa [African] Declaration on Violence against Women (1997)
225
Annex C
Excerpts from the Initial Report of the Central African Republic to the Committee on the Rights of the Child (2000)
229
Selected Bibliography
231
Index
249
Samenvatting
253
About the Author
259