JUR1910 – Women's Law and Human Rights (BA)

Course content

The course presents the international legal framework for women's human rights with emphasis on basic principles such as equality and non-discrimination, freedom, integrity and dignity embedded in the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

The principle of substantive equality and direct, indirect, structural and intersectional discrimination is elaborated in the light of the CEDAW with reference to relevant provisions in the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, European Union Law and the Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of African Women.

The right to equality and non-discrimination, integrity and freedom is substantiated through a focus on the right to work, reproductive health rights, the right to protection against violence, the right to housing and land and the right to water and sanitation.

National and local case studies from Scandinavia, Asia and Africa demonstrate how state and non-state actors have invoked, adopted or resisted the CEDAW and related instruments in different legal, political, economic and socio-cultural contexts.

Cross-cutting core topics are:

  • The CEDAW regime’s added value in comparison to and in interaction with other international mechanisms  with focus on the CEDAW’s gender specific, transformative and holistic approach.
  • How international law responds to women’s lived realities with focus on protection against violence  and social economic rights such as the right to work the right to a home and the right to water.
  • The relationship between different human rights principles, such as gender equality, freedom of religion and protection of custom and culture.
  • The domestication of women’s right to gender equality and non-discrimination through civic action, legislation and judicial review.
  • The relationship between human rights and legal pluralism: NGO’s as mediators and translators between international, national and local norms.

Learning outcome

See ‘Detailed course information’ regarding requirements and syllabus.

Admission

Students who are admitted to study programmes or individual courses at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for by registering a study plan in StudentWeb.

International applicants, if you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures for international applicants.

Nordic applicants that are accepted to study programmes or individual courses at UiO can be admitted to this course.

Prerequisites

Recommended previous knowledge

Please note that lectures and curriculum for this course is aimed at students at master degree level.

However, the achievement requirements are adjusted for students who take the subject at bachelor degree level.

Teaching

Lectures/seminars.

Language of teaching for this course is English. This means that all communication during lectures/seminars will be in English, and all literature and auxiliary materials are in English.

Examination

24 hour home exam, maximum 2000 words (bachelorlevel). Assignments/papers with text exceeding the word limit will not be accepted.

Footnotes are to be included in the word count of the main text. The following is not to be included in the word count: front page (title etc.), summary, table of contents and references (bibliography). (If relevant for the paper)

Previous exam papers

Examination support material

This is an open book exam. Candidates may therefore make use of all available sources during the examination period.

Your exam paper must be an independent work. Exam candidates are not permitted to communicate with other persons about the exam question(s) or distribute draft answers or exam answers.

General rules on exam support materials

Use of sources and rules for citing

Familiarize yourself with the use of sources and citations in legal writing. In an exam situation, using other people’s material without declaring it in a clear manner may be considered cheating or an attempt at cheating. You must cite any sources you draw on.

If you break the rules, you may be suspected of cheating or attempted cheating.

Language of examination

The examination text is given in English, and you submit your response in English.

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.

Marking criteria for written examination

This  guide is used by examiners for grading elective courses at the Faculty of Law.

Explanations and appeals

Resit an examination

Withdrawal from an examination

It is possible to take this exam up to 3 times. If you withdraw from the exam after the deadline or during the exam, this will be counted as an examination attempt.

There are special rules for resitting a passed examination in the master's programme in Law.

Special examination arrangements

Application form, deadline and requirements for special examination arrangements.

Evaluation

The course is subject to continuous evaluation. At regular intervals we also ask students to participate in a more comprehensive evaluation.

Other

The language for this course is English. Students enrolled in the Masterprogrammet i rettsvitenskap must pass one English subject as part of their degree, this course will meet these obligations.

This subject is taught at Bachelor's level. The subject is also taught at Master's level (10 ECTS credits), see JUS5910 – Women's Law and Human Rights.

Please see the chapter above, regarding overlap. For instances of overlap, credits will be deducted on the subject at Bachelors's level.

Facts about this course

Credits
10
Level
Bachelor
Teaching
Every spring
Examination
Every spring
Teaching language
English