HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE LAW IN UPHOLDING THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN?.
There are a great many aspects of the effects the law has in protecting and upholding the rights of women, a great many areas are covered, in fact all elements of the judicial system effect women just as much as men.
Some of the different areas of the law that affect women specifically include: Sex discrimination, equal pay, domestic violence, forcible rape, and equality, to name but a few. Within this essay I intend to examine certain aspects of two of the above; firstly sex discrimination and secondly rape, and to explore the effectiveness of the law in upholding womens rights concerning these two catagories.
The government introduced two laws in the 1970's, a relatively short time ago, and long overdue, the Sex Discrimination Act of 1975, and the Equal pay act of 1970, (which was not put into force until 1975). The Sex Discrimination Act was designed to eradicate discrimination against women and to lawfully secure women's right to equal treatment (although men can also complain of discrimation, but women are afforded special treatment in connection with pregnancy and childbirth). Women had suffered inequality and discrimination for too long without a law to prevent it, the legislation of the Sex Discrimination Act at least could give women hope for justifyably equal rights, and the social opinion and acceptance that discrimination is wrong. 'Legislation is also likely to influence the attitudes of the group suffering discrimination by making clear that equal treatment is a right, and not a privilage or an exception'. (April Carter 1988) However, many loopholes are to be found within the Act. One of the major drawbacks for women concerned the decision to start a family, it was expected that a working woman, becoming a mother would leave her employment in order to stay at home and raise her children, as there were no legal obligation for the employer to hold her job, the woman would find herself forced to seek alternative employment when she returned to work.
