Universität Wien

240086 SE VM7 / VM8 - The Intersection of Gender, Human Rights and SDGs in the Work of the UN (2020S)

Continuous assessment of course work
SGU

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 25 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Thursday 05.03. 18:00 - 21:00 (ehem. Seminarraum Internationale Entwicklung Afrikawissenschaften UniCampus Hof 5 2Q-EG-05)
  • Thursday 26.03. 18:00 - 21:00 (ehem. Seminarraum Internationale Entwicklung Afrikawissenschaften UniCampus Hof 5 2Q-EG-05)
  • Thursday 23.04. 18:00 - 21:00 (ehem. Seminarraum Internationale Entwicklung Afrikawissenschaften UniCampus Hof 5 2Q-EG-05)
  • Thursday 07.05. 18:00 - 21:00 (ehem. Seminarraum Internationale Entwicklung Afrikawissenschaften UniCampus Hof 5 2Q-EG-05)
  • Thursday 28.05. 18:00 - 21:00 (ehem. Seminarraum Internationale Entwicklung Afrikawissenschaften UniCampus Hof 5 2Q-EG-05)
  • Thursday 18.06. 18:00 - 21:00 (ehem. Seminarraum Internationale Entwicklung Afrikawissenschaften UniCampus Hof 5 2Q-EG-05)

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

Content:
The United Nations is an organization which rests on three main pillars Peace and Security; Human Rights; and Development. Human Rights forms an integral part of the development programmes of this organization. However, another important variable is the cross-cutting issue of gender equality that is ‘ingrained’ in all the programmes of the United Nations. Similarly, more than 90 % of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets are linked to international human rights. All these three concepts of Gender; Human Rights; and Sustainable Development Goals intersect in the work of United Nations.

The course will focus particularly on the following elements:
1. Theoretical framework of intersection between Gender; Human Rights; and Sustainable Development Goals in the work of United Nations;
2. Tools used to integrate Gender; Human Rights; and Sustainable Development Goals in the programmes of United Nations;
3. Process of mainstreaming Gender; Human Rights; and Sustainable Development Goals in the programmes of United Nations.
Goals:
1. To discuss the theoretical aspect of the intersection between Gender; Human Rights; and Sustainable Development Goals in development work.
There has been a paradigmatic shift in development work - from taking a charity-oriented approach to a needs-based approach and the latest about claiming of rights and fulfilling of duties. Concurrently, concepts regarding gender, human rights and sustainable development have undergone major shifts. In the recent past, including ‘gender’ and ‘human rights’ components in the development programmes has become mandatory and/or non-negotiable. With the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals, it has also become mandatory to link these with programmes. However, there is a glaring concern regarding this inclusion of Gender; Human Rights; and Sustainable Development Goals. The framework of intersectionality is often ignored and concepts such as class, race, gender, ethnicity and cultural backgrounds become an ‘academic’ notion. This course will thus discuss the theoretical aspects of the intersection between Gender; Human Rights; and Sustainable Development Goals and the impact and/or gaps it creates in development results.

2. To understand the tools used in integrating Gender; Human Rights; and Sustainable Development Goals in the programmes of United Nations
There are concerns regarding exclusion of the intersectionality framework, however, the United Nations and other international development agencies have created various tools such as manuals, toolkits, frameworks, handbooks and guidelines to mainstream Gender; Human Rights; and Sustainable Development Goals in programmes and policies. The course will assess the existing tools that are used in the field.

3. To examine the process of mainstreaming Gender; Human Rights; and Sustainable Development Goals in the programmes of United Nations
A mainstreaming process includes defined steps where aspects of Gender; Human Rights; and Sustainable Development Goals are integrated in planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating policies, programmes or projects. These steps are often carried out on the basis of the tools that are developed by these agencies. Mainstreaming ‘variables’ aims to create an equal society however this is not without critiques. The United Nations, European Union, every Member State use gender and human rights mainstreaming in their policies. Post-2015, also Sustainable Development Goals has found a place within development programmes. However, one needs to question if there is enough reflection on the broader tensions and debates that shape what Gender; Human Rights; and Sustainable Development Goals have come to mean in different contexts. This course thus aims to examine the process through which these concepts are ‘mainstreamed’ into development work of the United Nations.

Assessment and permitted materials

Assessment:
The students will be graded based on the following criteria
• Active participation in discussions during the course;
• Reading of literature that is uploaded on Moodle; abstracts (300 words) to be submitted before each class;
• Final paper (7000 words) to be submitted on a date that is agreed upon in class (generally end of the semester)
Paper is graded on basis of content (25%), coherence (25%), clarity (25%) and critical thinking (25%)

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Examination topics

Reading list

Mandatory reading:
United Nations, ‘Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women New York, 18 December 1979. (https://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/CEDAW.aspx)
Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, The Fourth World Conference on Women (https://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/beijing/pdf/BDPfA%20E.pdf)
United Nations Declaration on Human Rights (https://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/index.html)
Sustainable Development Goals (https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/?menu=1300)
This is a suggested reading list:
Archibong, E.P., Bassey, G.E. and Nwagbara, E.N., 2018. Gender mainstreaming and attainment of sustainable development goals: does Nigeria have the political will to successfully work the talk?. Global Journal of Social Sciences, 17(1), pp.21-29.
Baines, D., 2010. Gender mainstreaming in a development project: intersectionality in a post‐colonial un‐doing?. Gender, Work & Organization, 17(2), pp.119-149.
Bhattacharya, D., & Ali, M. A. (2014). The SDGs–What are the “Means of Implementation”?. Future United Nations Development System.
Breuer, Anita, Julia Leininger, and Jale Tosun. Integrated policymaking: Choosing an institutional design for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). No. 14/2019. 2019.
Brolan, C. E. (2016). A word of caution: human rights, disability, and implementation of the post-2015 sustainable development goals. Laws, 5(2), 22.
Chen, M.A., Vanek, J. and Carr, M., 2004. Mainstreaming informal employment and gender in poverty reduction: A handbook for policy-makers and other stakeholders. Commonwealth Secretariat.
Darrow, Mac, and Louise Arbour. "The pillar of glass: human rights in the development operations of the United Nations." American journal of international law (2009): 446-501.
Ghanem, C.Y., 2019. Integrating Muslim Migrants with a Gender Perspective? An Analysis of Integration Policies in the City of Brussels. Peace Human Rights Governance, 3(1).
Glasbergen, P., Biermann, F., & Mol, A. P. (Eds.). (2007). Partnerships, governance and sustainable development: Reflections on theory and practice. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Jenichen, A., Joachim, J. and Schneiker, A., 2018. Explaining variation in the implementation of global norms: Gender mainstreaming of security in the OSCE and the EU. International Political Science Review, p.0192512118787429.
Landaluze, I.Z., 2018. Gender mainstreaming in UN peacekeeping: impacts and challenges of gender in international peace and security policies. In Peacekeeping: global perspectives, challenges and impacts (pp. 417-440). Nova Science Publishers.
Le Blanc, D. (2015). Towards integration at last? The sustainable development goals as a network of targets. Sustainable Development, 23(3), 176-187.
Palermo, F., 2018. An analysis of gender mainstreaming strategies for the Rohingya Refugee Crisis in the Cox Bazar, Bangladesh.
Prügl, E., 2009. Does gender mainstreaming work? Feminist engagements with the German agricultural state. International Feminist Journal of Politics, 11(2), pp.174-195.
Schröder, Ilse, Erik Mooij de Jonge, and Frank Evers. "Global challenges, local impact." 5th CARPE Conference. HORIZON EUROPE AND BEYOND. 2019.
Stevens, Casey, and Norichika Kanie. "The transformative potential of the sustainable development goals (SDGs)." (2016): 393-396.
Terretta, Meredith. "" We Had Been Fooled into Thinking that the UN Watches over the Entire World": Human Rights, UN Trust Territories, and Africa's Decolonization." Human Rights Quarterly 34, no. 2 (2012): 329-360.

Association in the course directory

VM7 / VM8

Last modified: We 21.04.2021 11:26