A Woman's Right to Believe

During the past three weeks of my internship at the Baha’i International Community's office at the United Nations, I have had the opportunity to attend several events as part of the Commission on the Status of Women. As a result I have met many inspiring people who are working in the fields of human rights and development. I am 23 years old and just finished my degree in Journalism and Political Science. Being here has allowed me to see in action many of the concepts and principals I have studied. I have already learned a great deal about the involvement of individuals and organizations in contributing change to the communities and countries they live in.

On March 15, the 54^th Commission on the Status of Women is coming to an end after two weeks. This year, the Commission undertook a 15 year review on the lessons learned since the adoption of Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 1995.  

Apart from the formal meetings of the Commission, there are side events that registered participants can attend. I was able to attend a panel discussion titled “The Advancement of Women and the Right to Freedom of Religion or Belief,” which was organized by the NGO Committee on the Freedom of Religion or Belief.

The panelists included Dr. Merve Kavakci, professor of International Affairs at George Washington University and Asma Uddin, attorney and editor-in-chief of Altmuslimah, an online magazine about women in Islam. The two speakers talked about Muslim women’s right to wear the hijab, or the headscarf, without fear of discrimination. Dr. Merve pointed out the importance of culture and religion in the Muslim world and how these relate to democracy. She also spoke about empowerment as it relates to Muslim women and how, for many, wearing the hijab is empowering. She used examples of secular Turkey (where she is from) and France to show that the ban of hijab has been a source of disempowerment for many women.

Ms. Uddin spoke about the need for the freedom to interpret religious scripture in one’s own way.  She went on to say that imposing one’s perspective on others, in her example enforcing laws against the hijab, is to disconnect them from their chosen spiritual path.

The panel discussion took a slightly different direction from the one originally intended as one of the invited speakers, Vice-Chair of CEDAW (Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women), was not able to attend. Her speech was intended to provide a broader perspective on the issue of women’s freedom of religion and belief. Nevertheless, hearing other women’s contributions and speaking with them made me think of how violation of this freedom affects women around the world.

A new study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life shows that 70 percent of the world’s population live in countries with religious restrictions. This study, titled Global Restrictions on Religion, finds that 64 nations have high or very high restrictions on religion.  Even more upsetting is the fact that women are the one of the main groups being affected by these violations of human rights.  

In the panel discussion, Iran and Saudi Arabia were mentioned as examples of countries where the hijab is a mandatory dress code for all women, regardless of religious affiliation. Some people also commented on the need to hear about other forms of oppression perpetrated against women, caused by lack of the freedom of belief, namely, imprisonment, torture, deaths by stoning and honor killings which are committed against them in impunity, only because an act seen as dishonoring to their families.

Freedom of religion or belief also comes into play when addressing issues such as female genital cutting and traditions where girls are circumcised against their will. The right to freedom of belief, therefore, must also protect individuals who choose not to believe. It must give a voice to those who choose not to follow the dogmas and traditions that degrade their nobility and disrespect them as individuals with the right to make decisions.

In a statement on the Freedom of Religion or Belief, the Baha’i International Community pointed out four issues related to this freedom that require more attention: 1) the right to change one’s religion or beliefs, 2) the right to share one’s belief with others, 3) the responsibilities of the international community and national governments vis-a-vis marginalized and peacefully organized religious communities and 4) the responsibilities of religious leaders vis-a-vis the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of religion or belief.

Although the panel discussion touched on the subject of women’s freedom to believe, there needs to be more frank and open discussions around this topic. This was the first time the Commission on the Status of Women addressed this issue and, in this way, opened way to more dialogue in the future. The right to hold a belief or to change it is an important part of human development. Through it individuals can search for meaning and purpose. In order to take positive steps towards the equality of men and women, it is crucial that we engage in unbiased and informed discussions that seek to formulate solutions to the many forms of oppressions faced by women around the world.