Rethinking Rights and Global Development

Are human rights universal? Has increased attention to human rights since the 1990s resulted in a neglect of the material conditions of poverty as political and civil rights are prioritised over social and economic rights? Is it useful to think of women having specific rights distinct from those of other humans? Do all women share the same concerns? This subject explores these questions relating to human rights and women’s rights from postcolonial and intersectional feminist perspectives. We analyse how these debates play out in development practice, particularly in ‘rights-based approaches’ to development. We consider different histories of human rights in the activities of the United Nations, in anti-colonial struggles, and in post-colonial demands for a ‘right to development’. We focus particularly on women’s rights in the contexts of sexual and reproductive health, land rights, the right to education, and the rights of sex workers. We also consider the gendered dimensions of struggles for the recognition of the human rights of people of colour, Indigenous peoples, LGBT people and people with disabilities. Throughout this subject, students are encouraged to ask, ‘whose interests do human and women’s rights serve?’ This subject aims to equip students with skills to critically analyse the power relations that underpin human rights discourse and practice.