Human Rights of Women
Full course description
Worldwide women experience difficulties in fulfilling their human rights. Culture, tradition and stereotypical ideas influence women’s position in society. This course aims to look at the human rights of women from the perspective of the principles of non-discrimination and equality. After a thorough study of these concepts, the impact and use of several international and regional instruments that are based on the principles of equality and non-discrimination will be compared. Special attention will be paid to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (Women’s Convention) and its supervisory organ, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). We will study both procedural and substantive aspects of the Women’s Convention, and look into CEDAW’s monitoring possibilities. Regardless of how well rights are laid down and interpreted on the international level, they can only be enjoyed by individuals when they are implemented and protected on the national level. That is why information about national situations is most pertinent.
Course objectives
Generally, to provide and in-depth study of the principles of equality and non-discrimination contained in international and regional human rights instruments in general, and of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women in particular.
Specifically, at the end of the course, students should have:
- An in-depth understanding of women’s rights from the perspective of international human rights law.
- The ability to effectively use the Women’s Convention and other relevant international and regional human right treaties. The ability to identify, explain, apply and critically evaluate the human rights principles of non-discrimination and equality, the Women’s Convention’s normative standards, state obligations and procedural mechanisms.
- The ability to identify, analyse and critically evaluate real-life situations of gender-based discrimination (including gender-based violence).
- The ability to analyse and critically evaluate the domestic situation of a State as regards the implementation of women’s human rights.
- The ability to do independent research on the domestic (non-)implementation of the Women’s Convention and present findings in both oral and written format.
Prerequisites
Prior knowledge of international (human rights) law is presumed.
Recommended reading
The course makes use of a variety of different learning materials. First and foremost, that includes international human rights treaties and the authoritative statements made by relevant human rights bodies. These materials are all freely accessible online. In addition, scholarship is used to deepen students’ understanding of the issues being discussed. Most notably that will include relevant chapters of: Marsha A. Freeman, Christine Chinkin and Beate Rudolf, The UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and its Optional Protocol: A Commentary, (second edition, OUP 2022). This book is freely accessible as an e-book via the website of the University Library.