This brief from the Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) provides the human rights-based response to arguments that employ religion, culture, and tradition as justifications for gender-based discrimination and violence. The brief revolves around five main points:
- All human rights are universal and interrelated.
- Invocations of culture, religion and tradition can never justify violations of human rights.
- States have an obligation to abolish any laws, customs or practices that discriminate against women.
- Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and belief.
- Cultural diversity can only be protected when human rights are upheld.
