DP1 Students: IA Engagements!
According to IB: Human rights are basic claims and entitlements that, many argue, one should be able to exercise simply by being a human being. Many contemporary thinkers argue they are essential for living a life of dignity, are inalienable, and should be accepted as universal. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the UN in 1948 is recognized as the beginning of the formal discussion of human rights around the world. Critics argue that human rights are a Western, or at least culturally relative, concept.
Entitlements (權利): something that you automatically have a right for.
Dignity (尊嚴): being worthy of respect or acceptance
Inalienable (不可剝奪的權利): unable to be taken away -- you always have it
Universal (普遍的): Applies to everybody, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, religion, etc.
Culturally Relative (文化相對主義): the opposite of universal; the idea that different groups or cultures have different views on what is considered a "right"
Before 2001, Afghanistan was one of the worst places in the world to be a woman. After 20 years, and a lot of progress, things had slowly gotten better over time. It still wasn't a great place to be a woman, but women and girls had opportuities and rights that they hadn't enjoyed in the 1990s. Even with all the many mistakes the U.S. made in Afghanistan, the improvement of conditions for women was often seen as a "victory." That may very well change soon...
Consider the following...
What was the root cause of the human rights issues against women in Afghanistan?
What happened to allow womens rights to improve between 2001 and 2021?
What types of rights are currently endangered by the return of the Taliban?
This is an old U.S. government site explaining how the Taliban had treated Afghan women when they were in power (from the 1990s until late 2001.)
Skim through it, don't read the entire thing.
It DOES include comments from various world leaders, so there are some international perspectives here (but... they all agree.)
From this, what was the status of women's rights in Afghanistan prior to 2001?
The link and image on the left will bring you to an article by Human Rights Watch. HRW is one of the world's most significant NGOs (non-governmental organization) and a very, very important political actor on human rights issues.
Their article outlines improvements to womens rights in Afghanistan over the last 20 years, as well as the current threats facing women due to the Taliban's return to power.
While you read, consider the ideas of...
Equality...
Liberty/Freedom...
and Justice...
A bit graphic but the message is clear.