Challenges to women's human rights are plentiful. They include gender-based violence and poverty, as well as access to health care, education, and political participation. This course will evaluate the efficacy of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and other instruments and organizations of the human rights system in addressing violations of women's human rights in different countries, societies and civilizations, including the U.S. While the human rights of women, transgender and other gender-nonconforming people around the world will be the primary focus, these cannot be separated from conceptions of patriarchy and masculinity across cultures.
