Lessard, Hester

Relationship, Particularity, and Change: Reflections on R. v. Morgentaler and Feminist Approaches to Liberty

This article applies feminist theory to an understanding of liberty rights using the Canadian case of R v. Morgentaler case and its claim for reproductive control under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Section 7). The author begins by examining the reasoning of various judicial opinions delivered in the Morgentaler case. The author then provides an overview of certain tenets of feminist theory in order to establish the premises of the equality-based arguments behind feminist theorizing.

The Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa: An Instrument for Advancing Reproductive and Sexual Rights

This document examines the innovations of the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa, a protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights. The document addresses how the Protocol advances the rights of African women, specifically focusing on the issues of reproductive health and autonomy. The Protocol is described as a successful attempt at remedying the African Charters shortfall in addressing womens rights, by enunciating various rights already included in other international documents, while also including previously unrecognized rights.