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Seminar to focus on 'Women, Gender and Human Rights'

The public is invited to attend the first session of "Women, Gender and Human Rights," a year-long seminar for faculty and graduate and professional students that will begin on Thursday, Sept. 24.

Professor Ruti Teitel of the New York University School of Law will open the series with a discussion of "Women, Gender, Sexuality and Human Rights: Theory and Practice: Social Constructions in a Global Age." This session will be held 4-6 p.m. in Rm. 208 of the Whitney Humanities Center, 57 Wall St. Admission is free.

The seminar is designed to examine the struggle for the rights of women and sexual minorities within the larger battle for "human rights" and to explore what that means for human rights activists.

The fall sessions will explore the idea that what happens to women and sexual minorities during times of violent crisis is shaped by the ongoing situation and the prospects of these groups under ordinary circumstances. Among the areas of the world that will be discussed are Cambodia, Bosnia, South Africa, Uganda, Rwanda, Argentina and the United States.

Topics for the spring term will include gender and armed conflict; war crimes tribunals and gender-specific violence; women and sexual minorities under abusive and transitional regimes; "truth and reconciliation" commissions and gender; applying the "human rights" concept in the United States; and creating a new culture of human rights activism.

After the first session, the seminar will meet monthly. All sessions will be held on Wednesdays 4-6 p.m. in Rm. 108 of the Whitney Humanities Center. A schedule of the other fall meetings and topics follows:

Oct. 7-- This session will explore the question: How do religious and cultural practices shape local and global understandings of women's rights and the rights of sexual minorities?

Nov. 11 -- This session will focus on rape, reproductive rights, genital mutilation and rights of sexual expression.

Dec. 9 -- This session will examine economic and social issues, including property, the environment and access to resources by women and sexual minorities.

"Women, Gender and Human Rights" was organized by Professors Cathy Cohen, Laura Green, Laura Wexler and Margaret Homans, who is coordinator for the fall term.

For further information, call Homans at 432-0848.