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Should Liberal Democracy Respect Group Rights that Discriminate against Women and Apostates?

Cohen-Almagor, Raphael LU orcid (2023) In Public Governance, Administration and Finances Law Review 8(1).
Abstract
The paper examines the limits of state interference in proscribing cultural norms by considering gender discrimination, right of people to leave their community free of penalties, denying women appropriate education, and forced or arranged marriages for girls and young women. The discussion opens by reflecting on the discriminatory practices of the Pueblo tribes against their women and analysing an American court case, Santa Clara v. Martinez. It is argued that the severity of rights violations within the minority group, the insufficient dispute-resolution-mechanisms, and the inability of individuals to leave the community if they so desire without penalty justify state intervention to uphold the dissenters’ basic rights. Next, a Canadian... (More)
The paper examines the limits of state interference in proscribing cultural norms by considering gender discrimination, right of people to leave their community free of penalties, denying women appropriate education, and forced or arranged marriages for girls and young women. The discussion opens by reflecting on the discriminatory practices of the Pueblo tribes against their women and analysing an American court case, Santa Clara v. Martinez. It is argued that the severity of rights violations within the minority group, the insufficient dispute-resolution-mechanisms, and the inability of individuals to leave the community if they so desire without penalty justify state intervention to uphold the dissenters’ basic rights. Next, a Canadian case, Hofer v. Hofer, illustrates the problematics of denying reasonable exit right to members who may wish to leave their community. Subsequently, the discussion turns to the issue of arranged and forced marriages of girls and young women. While the latter is coercive the former is not. While forced marriages should be denounced as unjust, arranged marriages can be accepted. Finally, the paper considers denying education to women, arguing that such a denial is unjust and discriminatory. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Canada (AG) v. Lavell, culture, education, Forced marriages, gender discrimination, Hofer v. Hofer, Pueblo tribes, religion, Santa Clara v. Martinez
in
Public Governance, Administration and Finances Law Review
volume
8
issue
1
pages
24 pages
ISSN
2498-6275
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
d9224ab0-26d9-45c9-a576-9a8ca3a6b5a9
alternative location
https://ssrn.com/abstract=4468026
date added to LUP
2023-06-09 13:24:57
date last changed
2023-06-09 14:26:04
@article{d9224ab0-26d9-45c9-a576-9a8ca3a6b5a9,
  abstract     = {{The paper examines the limits of state interference in proscribing cultural norms by considering gender discrimination, right of people to leave their community free of penalties, denying women appropriate education, and forced or arranged marriages for girls and young women. The discussion opens by reflecting on the discriminatory practices of the Pueblo tribes against their women and analysing an American court case, Santa Clara v. Martinez. It is argued that the severity of rights violations within the minority group, the insufficient dispute-resolution-mechanisms, and the inability of individuals to leave the community if they so desire without penalty justify state intervention to uphold the dissenters’ basic rights. Next, a Canadian case, Hofer v. Hofer, illustrates the problematics of denying reasonable exit right to members who may wish to leave their community. Subsequently, the discussion turns to the issue of arranged and forced marriages of girls and young women. While the latter is coercive the former is not. While forced marriages should be denounced as unjust, arranged marriages can be accepted. Finally, the paper considers denying education to women, arguing that such a denial is unjust and discriminatory.}},
  author       = {{Cohen-Almagor, Raphael}},
  issn         = {{2498-6275}},
  keywords     = {{Canada (AG) v. Lavell; culture; education; Forced marriages; gender discrimination; Hofer v. Hofer; Pueblo tribes; religion; Santa Clara v. Martinez}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  series       = {{Public Governance, Administration and Finances Law Review}},
  title        = {{Should Liberal Democracy Respect Group Rights that Discriminate against Women and Apostates?}},
  url          = {{https://ssrn.com/abstract=4468026}},
  volume       = {{8}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}