Christine Chinkin, Professor of International Law, NAB 6.15.

For LLM and MSc Human Rights.

This course is capped at 30 students. Students must apply through Graduate Course Choice on LSEforYou.

An introduction to a gender based analysis of the mainstream normative and institutional frameworks for human rights.

The course explores the following issues: the concept of women's human rights; international instruments guaranteeing civil and political and economic and social rights; the approach of the mainstream human rights mechanisms and institutions, including the UN Human Rights treaty bodies and special mechanisms and the European, American, and African regional human rights systems; the UN Commission on the Status of Women and the development of specific normative standards relating to women; the background, drafting, content and experience of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women 1979 and its Optional Protocol 1999; the work of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women in monitoring States, elaborating general recommendations and making decisions and initiating inquiries under the Optional Protocol; debates around universalism and cultural particularity; the establishment of new standards at the global and regional levels; violence against women, including in armed conflict and trafficking; economic and social rights and the right to development; examples of domestic protection of women's rights, including India and Commonwealth Africa; the rights of the girl child.

This course is taught by two-hour weekly seminars in MT and LT.

Students are asked to submit  a 1,500 word essay in both the MT and LT.

Detailed readings are arranged for each class.

A three-hour examination (100%).