LAW7311

International human rights law and women ( 6 points, SCA Band 3, 0.125 EFTSL)

Leader: Dr Julie Deblejak

Offered:
Not offered in 2006.

Synopsis: Securing the protection and promotion of the human rights of women remains a challenge in the 21st century. Notwithstanding the significant advances in international human rights norms relating to women, systemic discrimination and inequality are part of everyday life for many women in the world. Moreover, securing human rights for women is proving more difficult than for men in many areas, particularly because of traditional stereotypes and cultural practices. Additionally, many human rights abuses relate solely to, or impact more significantly on, women, such as, violence, human trafficking, and female genital mutilation.

Objectives: Upon completion of this unit, students should: 1) appreciate the historical development of women's human rights within the broader international human rights movement; 2) understand and be able to analyse and critically comment on the theoretical debates about securing the human rights of women, including debates about discrimination, equality, the public-private divide, cultural relativism and mainstreaming human rights; 3) understand and be able to analyse and critically comment on the international approaches to securing the human rights of women; 4) be able to evaluate the impact and challenges of cultural practices on the realisation of women's human rights; 5) have a comprehensive understanding of the international human rights obligations and standards pertaining to women, including the relevant international treaties, customary international law, and the domestic means of implementing the international norms; 6) have a comprehensive understanding of the international human rights system as it relates to the protection and promotion of women; 7) have a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms for enforcing the human rights of women; 8) understand and be able to analyse and critically comment on a number of specific challenges to the protection and promotion of the human rights of women, such as, violence against women, human trafficking, entry and participation in labour markets, women's health issues, and the particular threats to women's rights during times of armed conflict; 9) have an appreciation of current challenges to and debates surrounding the human rights of women; 10) be able to understand, evaluate and apply policy arguments for and against reform of the legal protection afforded to women; 11) be able to identify or find the relevant principles, laws and precedents and apply them to resolve issues relating to the human rights of women; 12) further develop legal research, writing, and legal argument skills in the area of the human rights of women; and 13) further develop oral articulation of legal argument during class discussions.

Assessment: Option A: Research Paper (7,500 words): 100% Or Option B: Research Paper (3,750 words): 50% Plus Take-home Examination (3,750 words): 50%

Contact Hours: 24 hours of seminars per semester