Suchergebnisse

The pursuit of gender equality and women's empowerment, especially in parts of the Arab and Muslim world, struggles in the face of several conundrums. How can women's civil and political rights be strengthened without corresponding attention to their socio-economic rights and poverty alleviation? How could women's participation in the public sphere be expanded when their private and intra-household leverage remains limited? How could Muslim women's rights be sustainable through secular discourse in traditional and religious communities? How can innovative formulations of women's rights be transformed into workable tools and embedded in formal systems for practical gains for Muslim women in complex environments? Recent developments and efforts in the arena of women's access to resources and property offer some fresh approaches to women's empowerment.

Though central to the narrative of the Palestinian- Israeli conflict, the dynamics of Palestinian childhood are generally unresearched. The impact of the conflict on Palestinian children is being steadily captured through snapshots and human rights reports but their complex role and participation within the Al-Aqsa Intifada, instead of provoking systematic study has led to their demonization without adequate comprehension of the factors and conditions. Arguments to the effect that Palestinian children have forfeited their rights as children by their manner of participation fail to unlock the complexities and context of Palestinian lives under occupation as well as misconstrue the nature and scope of child rights. A child rights approach to the conflict, though problematic in its particular context does help further clarify the obligations of the parties in conflict and the international community.