Gender norms in a context of legal pluralism: Impacts on the health of women and girls in Ethiopia
To achieve Sustainable Development Goal 5 for gender equality by 2030, it is crucial for health and development professionals and governmental officials to understand how legal systems empower or oppress populations on the basis of gender worldwide, including opportunities and challenges of statutor...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis Group
2024-12-01
|
| Series: | Global Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/17441692.2024.2326016 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850138492901785600 |
|---|---|
| author | David Cohen Kyra Jasper Alisha Zhao Khadija Taoufik Moalla Kasirim Nwuke Sophia Nesamoney Gary L. Darmstadt |
| author_facet | David Cohen Kyra Jasper Alisha Zhao Khadija Taoufik Moalla Kasirim Nwuke Sophia Nesamoney Gary L. Darmstadt |
| author_sort | David Cohen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | To achieve Sustainable Development Goal 5 for gender equality by 2030, it is crucial for health and development professionals and governmental officials to understand how legal systems empower or oppress populations on the basis of gender worldwide, including opportunities and challenges of statutory provisions created by legal pluralism. Using Ethiopia as a case study, this paper examines how local laws applied in Sharia and Customary Dispute Resolution courts impact gender equality and the health of women and girls inspite of the inculcation of human rights statutes into national legislation, including the Constitution. We identify several key issues with the substantive law and its enforcement. First, laws which have been instituted at the national level to improve gender equally have been poorly enforced at the local level. Second, there is a sustained enforcement of laws that oppress women and that protect male perpetrators of gender-based violations. Third, local courts limit female representation and uphold patriarchy. To improve the health of women and girls, stakeholders must take into consideration the ways in which legal systems uphold harmful gender norms and obstruct and/or advance progress towards equal representation, opportunities, and constitutionally-mandated protections for all. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8dcb87daebd547f787c7161f57def65e |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1744-1692 1744-1706 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Global Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-8dcb87daebd547f787c7161f57def65e2025-08-20T02:30:34ZengTaylor & Francis GroupGlobal Public Health1744-16921744-17062024-12-0119110.1080/17441692.2024.2326016Gender norms in a context of legal pluralism: Impacts on the health of women and girls in EthiopiaDavid Cohen0Kyra Jasper1Alisha Zhao2Khadija Taoufik Moalla3Kasirim Nwuke4Sophia Nesamoney5Gary L. Darmstadt6Center for Human Rights and International Justice, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USACenter for Human Rights and International Justice, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USACenter for Human Rights and International Justice, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USASenior Development, Human Rights and Gender Consultant, Tunis, TunisiaMirisak & Associates Ltd., Port Harcourt, NigeriaHuman Biology Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USADepartment of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USATo achieve Sustainable Development Goal 5 for gender equality by 2030, it is crucial for health and development professionals and governmental officials to understand how legal systems empower or oppress populations on the basis of gender worldwide, including opportunities and challenges of statutory provisions created by legal pluralism. Using Ethiopia as a case study, this paper examines how local laws applied in Sharia and Customary Dispute Resolution courts impact gender equality and the health of women and girls inspite of the inculcation of human rights statutes into national legislation, including the Constitution. We identify several key issues with the substantive law and its enforcement. First, laws which have been instituted at the national level to improve gender equally have been poorly enforced at the local level. Second, there is a sustained enforcement of laws that oppress women and that protect male perpetrators of gender-based violations. Third, local courts limit female representation and uphold patriarchy. To improve the health of women and girls, stakeholders must take into consideration the ways in which legal systems uphold harmful gender norms and obstruct and/or advance progress towards equal representation, opportunities, and constitutionally-mandated protections for all.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/17441692.2024.2326016Gender equalitychild marriagefemale genital cuttingfemale genital mutilationhumad rights |
| spellingShingle | David Cohen Kyra Jasper Alisha Zhao Khadija Taoufik Moalla Kasirim Nwuke Sophia Nesamoney Gary L. Darmstadt Gender norms in a context of legal pluralism: Impacts on the health of women and girls in Ethiopia Global Public Health Gender equality child marriage female genital cutting female genital mutilation humad rights |
| title | Gender norms in a context of legal pluralism: Impacts on the health of women and girls in Ethiopia |
| title_full | Gender norms in a context of legal pluralism: Impacts on the health of women and girls in Ethiopia |
| title_fullStr | Gender norms in a context of legal pluralism: Impacts on the health of women and girls in Ethiopia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Gender norms in a context of legal pluralism: Impacts on the health of women and girls in Ethiopia |
| title_short | Gender norms in a context of legal pluralism: Impacts on the health of women and girls in Ethiopia |
| title_sort | gender norms in a context of legal pluralism impacts on the health of women and girls in ethiopia |
| topic | Gender equality child marriage female genital cutting female genital mutilation humad rights |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/17441692.2024.2326016 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT davidcohen gendernormsinacontextoflegalpluralismimpactsonthehealthofwomenandgirlsinethiopia AT kyrajasper gendernormsinacontextoflegalpluralismimpactsonthehealthofwomenandgirlsinethiopia AT alishazhao gendernormsinacontextoflegalpluralismimpactsonthehealthofwomenandgirlsinethiopia AT khadijataoufikmoalla gendernormsinacontextoflegalpluralismimpactsonthehealthofwomenandgirlsinethiopia AT kasirimnwuke gendernormsinacontextoflegalpluralismimpactsonthehealthofwomenandgirlsinethiopia AT sophianesamoney gendernormsinacontextoflegalpluralismimpactsonthehealthofwomenandgirlsinethiopia AT garyldarmstadt gendernormsinacontextoflegalpluralismimpactsonthehealthofwomenandgirlsinethiopia |