Today was the last day of the Conference on the Status of Women here at the UN. And looking back, I think a lot of great discussion was had. People are largely united in the values that we hold. Whether you find yourself more to the political left or political right, there are a few fundamentals that we all agree on. Everyone believes in human rights, dignity, and inherent worth.
Both sides are trying to make the world a better place. We just disagree on the interpretation of what that means. This past week has been a rather long one and I’d like to think that I’ve seen the best and worst of what this conference had to offer. I had the pleasure of sitting down with some people whose views varied significantly from mine and had a very polite and fruitful conversation. I also saw an older lady almost get knocked over by a crowd trying to enter an event that was full.
So I would like to share some of the big concepts that I learned at CSW. The policies and philosophies that I heard while attending several different panels as a quick recap of the week.
Women Should be Supporting Other Women – But They Aren’t.
The discussion of “women looking out for women” was everywhere. A common theme that was discussed at many of the panels was female empowerment by other females. Many speakers called for helping those who haven’t been afforded the same opportunities. But all over the world we see stories of women taking advantage of other women. Human trafficking, political maneuvering, and forced surrogacy just to name a few. Many powerful women are advocating for abortion while ignoring the numerous negative ramifications it has and the testimonies of thousands of women who warn against it. Numerous scientifically verified studies have linked abortions to breast cancer and cervical damage, yet the cries of these women largely go unheard.
Religion is the Problem
Almost every left-leaning panel I attended at some point made a comment about the religious or religious practices that are currently holding human rights back. While I appreciate that certain religious fundamentalist beliefs are problematic, honor killings and polygamy to name a few, blaming religion as a whole is largely fallacious. The solution to the dilemma was to rely more on the government and NGO’s to make “informed, well researched decisions on right and wrong”.
Judeo-Christian values are the backbone of the entire western world. Almost all of our ethical presuppositions come from either Christianity or Judaism. You can’t say that religion is what is holding back universal human rights when religion is what first gave you the idea of universal human rights.
A Traditional Family is Best
Every speech I heard, every study that was cited, every poll that was done, all the research that was explained, all the history I saw and every expert I talked to all affirmed that the family unit was essential to society as a whole. That kids who grow up without specifically a mother and father parental unit are always worse off. Not only is this a developmental issue, but a societal one. Society is weaker without a strong view of family.
Colonization is Alive and Well
Ideological colonization is constantly going on at the UN and other governing bodies. We are often told that the world is onboard with rather new social ideas of sex, marriage, definitions of life, and economic reforms. But in reality, it is a small handful of countries attempting to force all these things on the rest of the world. European countries are attempting to force or coerce others into following the ideology that they have decided. They have declared themselves the world authority and emphatically stated, “if you don’t believe what we believe, you’re close-minded and backwards”. People often state that they abhor the colonization that went on in past centuries, but intellectual colonization and the forced adoption of values and beliefs is still occurring today.
Conclusion
I think this past week has been very eye opening. Many people came together to petition, fight, and inform on their deeply held convictions. There is a lot of positive work that happened this week. I truly believe that we are moving in the right direction. And I hope that I will continue to see these issues improve over my lifetime. I’ve met many good people who are desperately trying to make the world a better place. The Center for Family and Human Rights is doing amazing work.
I’m glad I could be a part of it.
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