Course Description

Instructor: Hafza Girdap

Gender equality has become a generally accepted refrain and gained secure positioning within international approaches to, and discourse on, development and human rights. However, it took decades of advocacy for gendered diversities to become effectively acknowledged as relevant to the international human rights system. In this process, the recognition that “women’s rights are human rights� played a central role. It is very unfortunate that, some groups of women face compounded forms of discrimination, due to factors such as their age, ethnicity, disability, or socioeconomic status, in addition to their gender. Effectively ensuring women’s human rights requires, firstly, a comprehensive understanding of the social structures and power relations that frame not only laws and politics but also the economy, social dynamics and family and community life. This course examines the integration of human rights and gender mainstreaming in respect to the different perspectives of civil life. We will also examine competing definitions of women leadership; class, race, and gender dynamics; and the cultural dynamics of political organizing and social change.