Economic, social and cultural rights of women

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to highlight the legal framework and challenges to economic, social and cultural (ESC) rights of women. Design/methodology/approach This paper focuses on ESC rights of women. ESC rights are recognized under primary instrument International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), which is adopted by the United Nations (UN) in 1966. States have obligations to respect, protect and fulfil ESC rights. This paper aims to address ESC rights of women in particular. It analyzes the international legal framework including provisions of UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and ICESCR and its optional protocol. It also analyzes provisions of Women’s Convention and identifies its linkage to ICESCR. Findings ESC rights are not justiciable and growing debate over justiciability is important for consideration. Also, there exist certain challenges for the progressive realization of ESC rights which need to be addressed by analyzing provisions of the existing legal framework and Maastricht Guidelines. The argument developed throughout the paper is that women’s ESC rights may be protected at all levels by the progressive realization of these rights. The issue of justiciability may also be resolved to protect the basic needs and interests of women that leads to their empowerment. Originality/value The work is original and not published by any other journal so far.

Entre La Ley Y La Realidad: Desafíos en La Justiciabilidad De Los Desca

“…Asimismo, a menudo prevalecen aún entre jueces, fiscales y otros operadores jurídicos nociones restrictivas sobre la justiciabilidad directa de los DES-CA, reacios a pronunciarse sobre el alcance de las obligaciones estatales de aplicar progresivamente estos derechos y qué medidas concretas cabe exigir judicialmente a los Gobiernos (Arif, 2019). En ese contexto, las posibilidades reales de exigir y obtener tutela judicial efectiva ante vulneraciones de derechos sociales dependen en gran medida de los ordenamientos jurídicos domésticos.…”