Stark, Barbara

Marriage Equality, Gender Equality, and the Women's Convention

This article concerns the intersecting topics of gender equality and marriage equality. It argues that in modern marriages, gender equality is a right which is why it should be pursued as a public goal and not left up to private parties to navigate.

Transnational Surrogacy and International Human Rights Law

Transnational surrogacy is a rapidly evolving and increasingly commercial practice used to create new families.  This article grounds itself in preventing the exploitation of vulnerable peoples, violations of human rig

The Women’s Convention, Reproductive Rights, and the Reproduction of Gender

This article looks at the effects of ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) on reproductive rights.

International Human Rights and Family Planning: A Modest Proposal

This article proposes that the US take a more positive role in advancing international human rights by reaffirming its historic commitment to international family planning efforts. The author suggests this can be achieved by rescinding the "Mexico City Policy" which terminated all U.S. aid to family planning services engaging in abortion related activities or speech; repealing the Helms Amendment which prohibits direct funding of abortion via non-governmental organizations; and explicitly applying internationally accepted human rights norms to the US population program.

Bottom Line Feminist Theory: The Dream of a Common Language

This essay discusses the importance of a "bottom-line feminist theory" to engender a degree of cohesiveness amongst the diverse voices within the feminist movement. The author posits that feminists' commitment to diversity has made it difficult to identify a feminist position on specific issues since there may be numerous feminist positions. The author uses the concept of customary international law (CIL) to suggest a methodology for arriving at a middle ground between the extremes of grand theory and subjective narrative.

Women and Globalization: the Failure and Postmodern Possibilities of International Law

This article considers the potential for international human rights law to address threats to women's human rights within the context of globalization. The author argues that from a classic perspective, international human rights law can provide only a very limited response to globalization due to both structural and philosophical weaknesses. Instead, the author discusses how a postmodern approach to international human rights law can facilitate new strategies for protecting economic rights.

Women, Globalization, and Law: A Change of World

The author of this article argues that globalization is driving a gendered "change of world", resulting in complex and ambiguous consequences for women. She discusses how globalization affects women in four major ways: (1) it propels women into the public sphere; (2) it weakens the distinction between the public and private spheres; (3) it increases women's visibility; and (4) it engenders the feminist consciousness. According to the author, the impact is diverse. She describes how globalization has enabled some women to join the formal workforce and enjoy greater access to education.

International Trade: Putting Gender into the Process: Initiatives and Lessons Learned

The author of this paper considers various strategies to integrate gender concerns into Canada's trade policy. She assesses the accessibility and accountability of different mechanisms that allow for public consultations with respect to trade policy and also reviews past strategies of womens organizations to advance gender concerns during previous trade negotiations. The author discusses the gender mainstreaming approach of the Asia-Pacific Economic Council, the only trade agreement to explicitly address gender concerns at the official level.

For the Record: A Focus on Canada - Bringing Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Home)

This comprehensive report addresses economic, social and cultural rights both on a global level and within Canada. The Canadian section includes information on Government of Canada reports submitted to various United Nations (UN) bodies and the UN responses, including Canada's reports under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the subsequent concerns and recommendations of the UN treaty monitoring body. The report also summarizes reports by the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, with links to the full reports.