Call for Participation: Seeking Researchers and Women’s Organizations for UN Study

Call for Participation: Seeking Researchers and Women’s Organizations for UN Study

The Women’s Human Rights Institute (WHRI) is undertaking a two-year research and advocacy project to promote participation in data gathering for the upcoming thematic report of the UN Working Group on Discrimination against Women in Law and Practice (UNWGDAW) on “good practices” in addressing discrimination and promoting women’s selfempowerment. The project will focus on identifying potential “good laws” and/or important case law that promote women’s substantive equality, and developing case studies that delve into the content of the laws, their impact and implementation mechanisms, as well as the complex set of factors and actors involved in their creation and implementation.

We have a particular interest in looking at the participation of women’s organizations and civil society in the process of developing laws that promote women’s de facto equality. The project seeks to involve women’s organizations, researchers and women’s human rights experts in identifying case studies and in contributing to a greater understanding of what constitutes a “good practice” in the context of promoting women’s enjoyment of their human rights. It also seeks to question and deepen the parameters for understanding how to define “good practices” in the context of women’s human rights implementation.

The information [please check website — www.learnwhr.org/research – this announcement is too long to post in its entirety on PAR-L] describes the roles and parameters of participation in this important global study. The results of the study will be submitted to the UNWGDAW to contribute towards their official report on this theme to the Human Rights Council, and will also be disseminated through a range of methods once the study is completed. Individual researcher applicants must have a degree in a related field, research experience, and excellent English writing skills.

**All interested candidates should submit a CV, letter of interest, names and contact information of two professional references, and a writing sample in English (all in a single Word or PDF document, please) to research@learnwhr.org by May 30, 2016. Please indicate clearly which regional team you are looking to join, and whether you are applying to be a researcher or a research team coordinator. The regions and teams are outlined in the parameters below.

We are also seeking the involvement of women’s organizations with expertise in these areas to submit case studies based on your work. If your organization would like to get involved in the study, please contact us at research@learnwhr.org with the following information: name and profile of organization; region(s) of work; area of specialization; relevant existing studies to contribute to research project; and contact person for follow-up as soon as possible

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Terms of Reference for Researchers and Participating Organizations

1. Background

The Women’s Human Rights Institute is an international organization that engages in education, advocacy and research to support transnational women’s movements and to
promote the use of women’s human rights mechanisms for feminist activism. It is based jointly out of the University of Toronto in Canada and the Fundación Justicia y Género in Costa Rica. The
WHRI was cofounded in 2004 by Costa Rican feminist jurist and activist Alda Facio, who is currently an Expert Member of the UNWGDAW, an independent expert mechanism created by
the Human Rights Council to assist governments in understanding and implementing their women’s human rights obligations.