In the theoretical fields of thought of feminism and multiculturalism, theories pointed out the semantic superficiality of the notion of the Human Rights regime, especially its most prominent manifestations such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the numerous biased elements it contains.
In order to point out the similarities and the differences between the multiculturalist and the feminist critique of the Human Rights regime, I will first deliver an analytical exposition of the Human Rights criticism that both the theory of multiculturalism and that of feminism share. Secondly, I will discuss the characteristics unique to each of the theories in question. Thirdly, I will expose the incompatibility of these two theories; this makes it very difficult to enforce them in practice simultaneously.
Criticism of Human Rights as Brought Forth by Multiculturalism and Feminism
The starting pointing for the critique of the ambitions of Human Rights is in the multiculturalists ' as well as in the feminists ' historical analysis of the notion of human rights. Multiculturalists regard human rights as a product of Western values; due to cultural imperialism, Western civilization has imposed its ethics on
References: Brown, C. (2000) "Cultural Diversity and International Political Theory: from the Requirement to 'mutual respect '", Review of International Relations, (26)2. Brown, C. (2002) Sovereignty, Rights, and Justice: International Political Theory Today (Cambridge: Polity). Coomaraswamy, R. (1994) "To Bellow Like a Cow: Women, Ethnicity and the Discourse of Rights" in Cook, R. (ed.) Human Rights of Women: National and International Perspectives (Philadelphia : University of Pennsylvania Press). MacKinnon, C. (1993) "Crimes of War, Crimes of Peace" in Shute, S and S. Hurley (eds) On Human Rights (New York: BasicBooks). Okin S.M. (1998) "Feminism and Multiculturalism: Some Tensions" Ethics 108, 661-684. Parekh, B. (2000) Rethinking Multiculturalism: Cultural Diversity and Political Theory (Basingstoke : Macmillan). Peterson V.S. and L. Parisi (1998) "Are Women Human? It 's not an academic question" in Evans, T. (ed). Human Rights Fifty Years on : a Reappraisal (Manchester: Manchester University Press). Taylor, C (1992) Multiculturalism and the politics of recognition: an essay (Princeton: Princeton University Press). Walzer, M. (1994) Thick and Thin: Moral Arguments at Home and Abroad (Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press)