Cultural Relativism Literature Review

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JOURNAL REVIEW “Cultural Relativist and Feminist Critiques of International Human Rights – Friends or Foes?” Human Rights and Gender Issues in World Politic Lecturer: Natasya Kusumawardani, SIP., M.Prof.Studs. (Hons.) Abu Rijal El Jihadi / 016201400001 IR Defense 1 2014 President University Jalan Ki Hajar Dewantara, Jababeka Education Park, Cikarang, West Java, 17550 www.president.ac.id 2016 Journal Reviewed: Reitman, Oonagh. (1997). “Cultural Relativist and Feminist Critiques of International Human Rights: Friends of Foes”, Statsvetenskaplig Tidskrift No.1. The author of this journal try to describe the discussion and the similarities regarding the critics towards International human rights proposed by cultural relativist and feminist.…show more content…
Critics on women’s human rights by Cultural relativism In this section, the author tried to explain the reservation and thought by the cultural relativism in the matter of women’s human rights. That thought is pointed and discussed in United Nation Conference and also Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women ("CEDAW") (United Nations 1980). a. The issue that had been addressed in The International Conference on Population and Development held in Cairo in September 1994 were Family planning and population control and the fundamental question of women's rights to control their bodies, free from the constraints of others, whether they be the community or family members, was debated. One of the issue on this matter is the issue of abortion and family planning. The relativist come the reservation that based on the objections from the religion (Islam and Catholicism) that forbid the abortion. It is also the time for the country such as Libya that took this opportunity to scold the international community regarding this matter, “"no country, no civilization has the right to impose its political, economic and social orientations on any other people" (United Nations…show more content…
a. Difficulties with the hegemonic claim to universality Both relativist and feminist criticize with the concept of universality of human rights, but in different context. For relativist, the essential of universality is not proper since for relativist, they believe in the basic of culture behind the concept of human rights. It means that international human rights is imbued with a culture that belongs to a certain society or region. They also believe that the human rights is the new term of “imperialism” with using the ideology of western. For feminist, they criticize on the implementation of human rights itself since only rights of men that being protected, either with women’s right. They stated that if the concept human rights is universal, it should also guarantee the women’s right, which for them it’s not being guaranteed yet. b. Hidden politics The term of hidden politics mean that human rights is used for some actors to gain benefit from other or to have the reason to occupy or forcing others. Both feminist and relativist believe that there are hidden politics behind human

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