Tackling women’s rights violations in non ideal society:  A discussion of top down and bottom up initiatives.

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Philosophy (MA) (60 EC)

Rudin, Elizabeth (2017)

Tackling women’s rights violations in non ideal society: A discussion of top down and bottom up initiatives.

Master thesis | Philosophy (MA) (60 EC)

This thesis aims to address how we should seek to tackle violations of women’s rights in non-ideal societies. I argue that methodologically, the top down, or state led approach to bringing about gender justice should be supplemented by bottom up, agent led initiatives. Women frequently find their rights violated and their capabilities stifled and this inequality is an indicator of a non-ideal society. We should look to our non-ideal society to decide how best to overcome gender inequalities rather than only to an ideal society. Further to this, state led approaches to achieving justice have typically been favoured over agent led ones. In many aspects state led approaches are helpful, for instance in enforcing rules to protect women, however they should be used in tandem with bottom up initiatives. Bottom up initiatives have an important role to play in encouraging a shift in societal ethos: they can empower women and help put them in a better cultural position.