“All men are created equal” according to our Declaration of Independence as penned by statesman Benjamin Franklin. Historian and professor, Howard Zinn, argued that from our country’s nascent beginnings, the term “all men” was sexist. However, according to the Library of Congress “most people have interpreted that “all men” was a euphemism for humanity.”
It is a given that, even today, there is no society in the world where there is universal gender equality. Women’s status is restricted in every part of society including in heritage and historical records.
We found a fascinating report from the United Nations that uncovered a significant disparity in the field of culture with respect to women. Culture can be defined in a variety of ways. Culture, as defined by sociologists, “is a set of values, norms, and beliefs among a group.” One need only to peruse cultural fields such as museums, film and media, music, heritage and the arts to recognize that women are not proportionately represented.
According to UNESCO’s 2001 Declaration on Cultural Diversity
“No one may invoke cultural diversity to infringe upon human rights guaranteed by international law, nor to limit their scope… Cultural rights are an integral part of human rights, which are universal, indivisible and interdependent.”
(UNESCO stands for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and is a specialized agency of the United Nations.)
The above declaration is from 2001. We wondered what the status of cultural rights and gender equality is today? Has anything changed?
Yes, it seems that gender equality is still an essential objective for a civil society. We found this good news from a recent G20 summit that acknowledged the import of gender equality in culture. The Rome Declaration of the G20 Culture Ministers officially recognized
“the social impact of cultural and creative sectors, supporting health and well-being, promoting social inclusion, gender equality and woman’s empowerment, local social capital, amplifying behavioral change and transformation towards more sustainable production and consumption practices and contributing to the quality of the living environment, for the benefit of everyone’s quality of life’.”
This is extraordinarily good news for every woman from whatever culture. Furthermore, UNESCO’s recent report on Sustainable Development stated:
“The economic, social and human rights-based value of gender equality in the cultural and creative sectors is increasingly recognized at the highest levels as a central element towards attaining the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”
We don’t want to get our hopes up too far but this report acknowledges that gender equality is critical for a balanced and productive society. We invite you to read more from the reports by UNESCO at their website or through the United Nations website. We would appreciate your thoughts and reactions.
Cheers,
Lucy and Claudia