JUS5910 – Women's Law and Human Rights
Course description
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
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.
For students enrolled in Rettsvitenskap (jus) (master – 5 ?r): Have you considered a specialization as part of your degree? The course is part of the profile Velferd og likeverd
Learning outcome
See ‘Detailed course information’ regarding requirements and syllabus.
Admission
You may register for this course if you have admission to a Master’s programme at UiO or the faculty's exchange programme. You can also register for this course if you do not have admission to any programme at UiO, but meet the formal prerequistites.
All students are required meet the formal prerequistites.
Have you met the formal prerequisites at another institution than the University of Oslo, and the results are not formally registered at UiO, you must apply for admission to courses at Master’s level . Students with admission to Master’s degree programmes at other faculties than The Faculty of Law must also apply for admission.
When your admission is in order you must register for courses in StudentWeb
Prerequisites
Formal prerequisite knowledge
Students must fill one of these requirements:
- Passed 1st - 3rd year of the 5-years degree Master of Laws (Master i rettsvitenskap at UiO) (or exams that qualify for exemption for these) or
- Hold a 5-years Master’s degree in Laws (Master i rettsvitenskap at UiO) or equivalent.
Exemptions from the formal prerequisites will be given to students with admission to the faculty's own exchange or master’s degree programmes. This rule does not apply to students with admission to other master’s degree programmes at the University of Oslo, unless otherwise agreed.
Recommended previous knowledge
Three years of law studies.
Overlapping courses
- 10 credits overlap with JUR1910 – Women's Law and Human Rights (BA)
- 10 credits overlap with VALWOMEN – Kvinnerett - internasjonal variant (discontinued)
- 10 credits overlap with JUXWOMEN – Kvinnerett - internasjonal variant (discontinued)
- 10 credits overlap with JUTWOMEN – Women?s Law and Human Rights (discontinued)
- 10 credits overlap with PILWOMEN – Women's Law and Human Rights (discontinued)
- 10 credits overlap with JUR5910 – Women's Law and Human Rights (discontinued)
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 3000 words (masterlevel). 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)
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
This guide is used by examiners for grading this course.
Explanations and appeals
Resit an examination
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Resitting an examination.
- There are special rules for resitting a passed examination in the master's programme in Law.
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 Master 's level. The subject is also taught at Bachelor's level (15 ECTS credits), see JUR1910 – Women's Law and Human Rights (BA). Please see the chapter above, regarding overlap. For instances of overlap, credits will be deducted on the subject at Bachelors's level.