DWA 230 Gender and International Human Rights

This course will explore the evolution of women's rights as human rights; the struggle of women's movements to place gender-specific concerns on the international human rights agenda; and the relationship of the UN and its agencies to the broad feminist goal of advancing the political, economic, social, and cultural status of women. While "women" are, of necessity, central to the concerns of this course, the study of human rights will be approached from a gender perspective, recognizing that gender relations is key to understanding the nature, occurrence, and prevention of rights violations. Key themes to be covered in the course include: the relationship between the "crisis of masculinity" and women's human rights, gender and economic rights, gender-based violence, and health and human rights.