Rights

In the west (and many other parts of the world) today men lack the following rights that women hold.

Hard Rights

The right not to be a parent

Women in most nations have the right to choose not to be a parent. This right exists through the option to have an abortion, through the use of adoption or through the use of safe haven drop off points. Many jurisdictions allow the mother to use any of these options against the wishes of the father. In contrast, for men, consent to sex is consent to parenthood.

The right to be a parent

Despite having formally been abolished in many countries the tender years doctrine continues to hold sway in family court in many nations. As a result of this child custody is preferentially awarded to women over men. Fathers are often left as Weekend dads in which their ability to parent is severely limited, or worse they are victims of parential alienation and cannot be fathers at all.

The right to genital integrity

In most nations today women gain the right to genital integrity at birth. In an increasing number of nations this right is actively enforced for girls. Boys eventually gain this right too but the exact age at which this occurs isn't clear. We do know that boys in the United States still do not have this right at the age of five.

The right to protection from gender vilification

In an increasing number of nations it is illegal to vilify someone on the basis of their gender. This right is not normally enforced for men.

The right to know he is the biological parent at birth

Women have always known that they are the mother of the child they just gave birth to. Only recently have men had the chance to truly know that they are the parent of a particular newborn. In some countries, such as France, paternity testing is illegal unless permitted by a court of law.

Mandatory paternity testing at birth would give to men a right that women have always enjoyed.

The right to not be used for forced or compulsory labour

International law permits an occupying power to use men for labour against their will. The use of women for compulsory labour is always illegal in international law.

The right to go naked in public

Many jurisdictions no longer enforce laws against nudity for women. A senior police officer in Queensland, Australia has specifically stated that merely appearing naked in public is only an offence for men. Women must "perform some act" while naked in public in order to commit an offence.

The right to presumption of innocence

The right to a fair trial is being degraded in cases involving an allegation of sexual assault. Special rules of evidence are introduced which bias proceedings against the accused. In addition the #metoo movement has seen countless men tried in the court of public opinion without so much as a cursory investigation in many cases. We can also see serious issues with police ignoring exculpatory evidence in sexual assault investigations in the UK and elsewhere.

Soft Rights

The right to be protected from common assault

Women who commit minor acts of assault against men are rarely if ever punished, and they are often applauded. Women who commit serious assaults against men are sometimes punished as the results are often so egregious that even law enforcement can't ignore it.

Men who commit minor acts of assault against women are punished as a matter of course.