International Law

State and Equality

The state is widely considered a basic unit in the international system. The laws that form the frame work of the state more or less represent interests of the people with in the state. Legal equality is the principle under which all people are subject to the same laws of justice. (Description of the UN declaration article 7, the United Nations) Though equality is said to be one of the most curtail tenants of these laws, absolute equality is far from the reality of any state. Minority groups often become subject to laws that are in the interest of the majority. A greater form of inequality exists at the international level; unfair labor conditions in sweat shops of Bangladesh, China, Costa Rica, etc. reduce production costs significantly, manufacturers find it cost effective to shift their productions to these countries. Which puts the countries the do provide their labor legal protection at a severe disadvantage. Though the Internal Labor Organization attempts to bring about fair labor conditions its success is limited. The ILO registers complaints against entities that are violating international rules; however, it does not impose sanctions on governments (Kazi Stastna, Oct 13, 2011, CBC News.). On the other hand the unfair labor conditions cause damage to health and well-being of the workers. Gender inequality refers to unequal treatment or perceptions of individuals based on their gender. It arises from differences in socially constructed gender roles as well as biologically through chromosomes, brain structure, and hormonal differences (Wood, Julia. Gendered Lives. 6th. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2005.). Gender inequality in many countries is treated with kid gloves as there is a religious element to it. Progress made to bring about equality is exponentially slower due to the abandonment of reason in favor of religious doctrine. These religious interests do hold power to varying degrees in their respective states and often...