Gender Issues in Human Rights: Gender-based Violence and Feminicide in Canada

Gender 305 Gender and International Human Rights

We have chosen the topic of gender violence as a human rights issue because it is widespread and global. We are interested in discussing gender violence from a theoretical feminist lens to capture the complexity and intersectionality involved in gender violence as a human rights issue in a way that other theoretical perspectives cannot. As MacKinnon states, “what happens to women is either too particular to be universal or too universal to be particular, meaning either too human to be female or too female to be human” (Mackinnon, p.142), which showcases the importance of centering gender violence as a human rights issue. We believe it is important to bring attention to the frequent and detrimental impacts of gender violence to bring awareness to an issue that impacts half the global population.

Historically, international human rights documents and policies have failed to acknowledge the rights and needs of women and non-binary identities. While significant progress has been made and international committees such as CEDAW are contributing to the diversification of international human rights, a disparity remains between international human rights and the people they claim to represent. Among many other experiences specific to women and non-binary identities, gender violence and the inequalities that perpetuate this type of violence lack representation within international instruments. From a gender perspective, we can understand the pressing issue of gendered violence occurring both nationally and internationally and identify the connection between gender inequality and gender violence and how they create, uphold, and perpetuate each other. In our podcast discussions, we argue that the reality and effects of gender violence must be centered on the formation of women’s international human rights and must remain relevant within international instruments to create a foundation for reports of violence to be made effectively. Our discussion of international human rights from a gender perspective aims to emphasize the connection between gender violence and human rights and how they should not be separated, as well as the need for policy and protection against gender violence in both the public and private sectors of life. To deepen and make our conversation more concrete, we discuss the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) in Canada as our. Indigenous women and girls in Canada are more likely to experience violence, rape, and murder than non-Indigenous women (Statistics Canada, 2022). The MMIWG is a current example of gender violence that is occurring in Canada. We bring more awareness to MMIWG as well as tie the concepts of gender violence together through this ongoing and current case study.

References
Canadian Women’s Foundation Podcast. (2020-2022). Alright, Now What?
https://canadianwomen.org/podcast/
MacKinnon, C.A., (2007). Crimes of war and crimes of peace. Are woman human? And other international dialogues. United States of America: Harvard University Press.
National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. (2019). Reclaiming
Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/final-report/
TEDx talks. (July 18, 2016). We are more than murdered and missing. Tamara Bernard.
TEDxThunderBay. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fylLSRQ5kx8
United Nations Human Rights. (2022). What Are Human Rights? United Nations Human Rights
Office of the High Commissioner. https://www.ohchr.org/en/what-are-human-rights
Zwingel, Susanne (2013). "International Feminist Strategies: Strengths and Challenges of the
Rights-Based Approach." Politics & Gender, 9: 344-351.
https://www-cambridge-org.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/core/journals/politics-and-gender/article/in
ternational-feminist-strategies-strengths-and-challenges-of-the-rightsbased-approach/B251B7B
F19E8045AAC3E6CF542E31CCA