Gender and Human Rights: an Introduction to Transnational Feminist Activism

Catalog description

This is a NYC travel course: students will attend meetings of the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations for two full weeks in March (including Spring Break). It provides an introduction to the evolution of women’s rights and gender equality in the international human rights system coupled with a 10-day intensive learning experience at the annual meeting of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (or CSW), held in New York City. It gives students a foundational understanding of human rights and gender equality mechanisms designed to address systemic inequalities across gender, sexuality race/ethnicity, class, nationality, age, religion, and disability status. Throughout the semester, we will investigate the shifting terrain of human rights thinking and practice giving particular attention to how critical gender analyses and transnational feminist activism has shaped and continues to influence human rights. Students will receive UN delegate passes and will be required to participate fully in ten days of CSW session for two weeks in March.