International Womens Rights Law and Gender Equality: Making the Law Work for Women

The law is a well-known tool in fighting gender inequality, but which laws actually advance womens rights? This book unpacks the complex nuances behind gender-responsive domestic legislation, from several of the worlds leading experts on gender equality.

Drawing on domestic examples and international law, it provides a primer of theory alongside tangible and practical solutions to fulfil the promise of the law to deliver equality between men and women. Part I outlines what progress has been made to date on eradicating gender inequality, and insights into the laws potential as one lever in the global struggle for equality. Parts II and III go on to explore concrete areas of law, with case studies from multiple jurisdictions that examine how well domestic legislation is working for women. The authors bring their critical lens to areas of law often considered from a gender perspective gender-based violence, womens reproductive health, labour and gender equality quotas while bringing much-needed analysis to issues often ignored in gender debates, such as taxation, environmental justice and good governance. Part IV seeks to move from a theoretical goal of greater accountability to a practical one. It explores both accountability for international womens rights norms at the domestic level and the potential of feminist approaches to legislation to deliver laws that work for women.

Written for students, academics, legislators and policymakers engaged in international womens rights law, gender equality, government accountability and feminist legal theory, this book has tremendous transformative potential to drive forward legal change towards the eradication of gender inequality.