No matter what country or region, women and children are groups that require protection. Women’s and children’s rights are also indicative of how civilized a country is and indicate the level of equality of human rights in a state. We miss the point about human rights if women’s and children’s rights aren’t protected. The United States is one of the largest countries in the world and is the loudest advocate for human rights protection. But according to officials from the U.S. Department of Justice, one in every eight American women are sexually assaulted, resulting in a total of 20 million victims, placing it number one in this category compared to the rest of the world. The United States also reports 1.8 million child abductions each year, indicating negligence in human rights protection for women and children and is an embarrassment to American human rights.
According to U.S. media, a third of retired female American soldiers were sexually assaulted by their superiors. In 2008 alone, more than 3000 female soldiers reported sexual assaults committed by their superiors and colleagues, an increase of 2750, or nine percent, from the previous year. In U.S. prisons, 60,000 female prisoners are sexually assaulted each year. Over 3000 renowned schools in the United States reported sexual assault cases accounting to a fifth of the female population on campuses across the country. Many of these assaults happen in dormitories. There are 1.3 million cases of domestic violence each year, with women as victims in 90 percent of the cases; three women on average die each day from domestic violence.
A Quarter of U.S. Children Suffer From Hunger
America is a large country with vast resources and abundant agricultural produce. It is the world’s top crop exporter. But in a state with such resources, one in every four children suffers from hunger. According to previous media surveys, 60 percent of public school teachers believe that the problem of children going hungry is a reality facing schools today. Some teachers have to buy food for students who can’t afford their meals. At least 17 million children in the United States come from families that cannot adequately provide food for all of their family members. In 1989, the United Nations passed the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and 193 countries ratified the treaty, but not the United States.
Each year, United States has three million cases of child abuse; 100,000 children, for various reasons, are confined and many of them experience sexual abuse. Around half of American teenagers experience emotional instability and have problems with drug and substance abuse. Seven out of 10 American children accidentally come into contact with pornography. A fifth of American teenagers send friends self-made or copies of nude photos or videos. The above are a result of negligence in protecting and guiding children, who need the most protection in society; they then run onto various paths of unsavory behavior. Americans are passionate about tainting the images of other countries but cannot uphold the rights of teenagers and children in their own country.
Refusal to Accept the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
The U.N. established the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, a text on women’s rights to seek gender equality and eliminate discrimination against women. It was passed on Dec. 18, 1979, by the U.N. General Assembly. The convention states that countries should protect the fundamental rights of women in politics, law, employment, education and health, as well as give women equal rights in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field. These rules are made strict and specific to provide a legal basis for eliminating discrimination against women. The U.N. asks member countries to ratify the convention, eliminate discrimination against women, and write protection of gender equality into their constitutions.
So far 183 countries have ratified the convention. China was one of its earliest members and has provided the U.N. with reports on its execution and progress. The majority of the countries in the world’s five continents have ratified the convention. Ironically, the United States, the number one country in the world advocating human rights, refused to ratify the convention. From New York City, the global financial center, to Santa Clara County, Calif., respectively, 230,000 and 4500 cases of domestic violence happen annually. This indicates very little protection for women rights in the United States.
Wenweipo, Hong Kong
By Huang Haizhen
Translated By Paul Yuan
31 May 2011
Edited by Hoishan Chan
Hong Kong – Wenweipo – Original Article (Chinese)