Law and Gender Commons^™

Toward A Field Of Intersectionality Studies: Theory, Applications, And Praxis, Sumi Cho, Kimberlé W. Crenshaw, Leslie Mccall

Faculty Scholarship

Intersectional insights and frameworks are put into practice in a multitude of highly contested, complex, and unpredictable ways. We group such engagements with intersectionality into three loosely defined sets of practices: applications of an intersectional framework or investigations of intersectional dynamics; debates about the scope and content of intersectionality as a theoretical and methodological paradigm; and political interventions employing an intersectional lens. We propose a template for fusing these three levels of engagement with intersectionality into a field of intersectional studies that emphasizes collaboration and literacy rather than unity. Our objective here is not to offer pat resolutions to all …

The Difference A Justice May Make: Remarks At The Symposium For Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Suzanne Baer

Articles

First, I will briefly summarize the state of the art of equality law in Germany today. A distinct dimension of this story from a European Union member state is that we are not just theorizing postnational constitutionalism these days, but that we live it already, since law is not anymore isolated as national but needs to be seen in the context of transnational migration and multinational regimes. Second, I turn to a key feature and key challenge in and to equality law today. It is what I have called the triangle of fundamental rights, referring to the three most prominent …

Gender And New Wars, Christine M. Chinkin, Mary Kaldor

Articles

War plays an important role in the construction of gender, or the social roles of men and women. This article analyzes the gendered experience of what Kaldor calls "new wars." It shows that new wars are largely fought by men in the name of a political identity that usually has a significant gender dimension. They use tactics that involve deliberate attacks on civilians, including systematic rape as a weapon of war, and are financed by predatory economic activities that tend to affect women more than men. The article describes the ways in which laws relating to gendered violence have been …

Property, Privacy And Power: Rethinking The Fourth Amendment In The Wake Of U.S. V. Jones, Dana Raigrodski

Articles

This Article seeks to uncover invisible gender, race, and class biases driving modern Fourth Amendment discourse. Unlike traditional theories, which tend to view the Fourth Amendment through the lens of either privacy or property, this Article advances a theory focusing on the real issues of power and control that fuel Fourth Amendment jurisprudence. Specifically, the Article exposes the private/public and home/market dichotomies that are central to the Supreme Court rhetoric as arbitrary and artificial. It finds that current Fourth Amendment discourse protects the interest of white, privileged men and perpetuates male ideology as well as male domination. That focus leaves …

The Search For Authenticity And The Manipulation Of Tradition: Restrictions On Women's Reproductive Rights In The United States And Egypt, Sarah M. Stephens

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The article argues that restrictions on women's reproductive rights in both the U.S. and Egypt are rooted in the use of authenticity and cultural essentialism to maintain patriarchal control. These restrictions, though justified through differing cultural and legal frameworks, reflect a common goal of silencing women and preserving traditional social hierarchies. The analysis highlights how law and politics are employed as tools to construct cultural otherness, furthering political agendas at the expense of women's reproductive autonomy and dignity.

Sex Matters: Considering Gender In Consumer Contracting, Amy J. Schmitz

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

We hear about the so-called "War on Women" and persisting salary gaps between men and women in the popular media, but contracts scholars and policymakers rarely discuss gender. Instead, dominant voices in the contracts field often reflect classical and economics-driven theories built on assumptions of gender neutral and economically rational actors. Furthermore, many mistakenly assume that market competition and antidiscrimination legislation address any improper biases in contracting. This Article therefore aims to shed light on gender's importance by distilling data from my own e-survey of Colorado consumers along with others' research regarding gender differences in contract outcomes, interests and behaviors. …

The Extension Of The Presumption Of Legitimacy To Same-Sex Couples In New York, Alexandra Eisman

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The note argues that the presumption of legitimacy, a cornerstone of family law, should be extended to same-sex couples to ensure legal equality and protect the rights of their children. It critiques the traditional application of the presumption, which excludes same-sex couples, and advocates for its evolution to align with modern legal trends and the best interests of children. The analysis emphasizes the importance of legislative and judicial action to address the disparities faced by same-sex families under current laws.

Annotated Legal Bibliography On Gender

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents, Cardozo Journal Of Law & Gender, Vol. 19, Iss. 3

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Expanding Rape Shield Laws: Breaking Through Prejudice For Better Protection Of Battered Women, Sarah C. Ayres

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The article argues for the expansion of rape shield laws to civil cases involving orders of protection, asserting that the exclusion of evidence regarding consensual sex between a victim and her abuser is crucial to counteract prejudicial stereotypes and provide better legal protection for battered women.

Panel 2: The Ballot, The Bench, And The Bedroom, Farah Diaz-Tello, Praveen Fernandes, Anna Franzonello, Jeremy K. Kessler, Gigi N. Parris, Edward Stein

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

Symposium: By the People, for the People... But Which People? (January 20, 2013)

Keynote Address, Carrie Evans

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

Symposium: By the People, for the People... But Which People? (January 30, 2013)

Crisis Pregnancy Centers: Impeding The Right To Informed Decision Making, Alice X. Chen

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The note argues that crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) in the United States engage in deceptive practices to deter women from obtaining abortions, often masquerading as medical facilities while providing misleading information about reproductive health. These centers receive significant funding from federal and state governments, despite their lack of regulation and medical licensure. The note contends that while local governments have attempted to regulate CPCs through ordinances requiring transparency, these efforts have largely been struck down by federal courts on First Amendment grounds. The author advocates for state-level action to protect women's rights to informed decision-making and accurate reproductive healthcare.

Annotated Legal Bibliography On Gender

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents - Cardozo Journal Of Law & Gender, Vol. 20, Iss. 1

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Pregnancy Discrimination In Higher Education: Accommodating Student Pregnancy, Emily Mcnee

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The article argues that despite Title IX's protections against sex discrimination, pregnant students in higher education continue to face subtle discrimination, particularly through rigid academic policies that fail to accommodate pregnancy-related needs. It advocates for clarifying Title IX regulations to explicitly require schools to provide accommodations, drawing parallels to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) model, to ensure equal educational opportunities for pregnant students.

Criminalization In Shades Of Color: Prosecuting Pregnant Drugaddicted Women, Carla-Michelle Adams

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The article argues that criminalizing pregnant women for drug use is both unconstitutional and ineffective. It contends that such prosecutions infringe upon fundamental rights, disproportionately affect minority women, and fail to address the root causes of addiction. The author advocates for a public health approach, emphasizing treatment over punishment to protect both the mother and the fetus.

Unlikely Partners: Tort Law As A Tool For Trans Activism, Courtney Sirwatka

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The note argues that tort law reform and trans activism can mutually benefit each other by addressing systemic discrimination and advancing equality for trans individuals. It critiques the legal system for perpetuating discrimination through its emphasis on physical injury over emotional or sexual harm and its refusal to validate trans identities. The analysis proposes that recognizing sexual autonomy and reproduction as protected interests in tort law, along with legal education reforms, could legitimize trans narratives and lead to meaningful change.

Annotated Legal Bibliography On Gender

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Decoding Civility, Kerri Lynn Stone

Faculty Publications

If women outnumber men in graduate schools and are entering professional and other workplaces in unprecedented numbers, and if Title VII has aimed to eradicate workplace discrimination for almost fifty years, why are women still so woefully underrepresented at the highest levels of power, leadership, wealth, and prestige in the contemporary workplace? This Article is about abusive speech in the workplace. It explores how the expression of bias in the workplace has evolved and been shaped by anti-discrimination legislation and jurisprudence. It identifies a category of biased speech that eludes prosecution under Title VII. Moreover, this Article seeks to provide …

Floor To Ceiling: How Setbacks And Challenges To The Anti-Bullying Movement Pose Challenges To Employers Who Wish To Ban Bullying, Kerri Lynn Stone

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Greensboro And Beyond: Remediating The Structural Sexism In Truth And Reconciliation Processes And Determining The Potential Impact And Benefits Of Truth Processes In The United States, Peggy Maisel

Faculty Scholarship

Over the last 35 years approximately forty truth commissions have investigated human rights violations and abuses in a wide range of countries and communities. Each of these forty commissions provides different lessons on how investigating and testifying about past abuse can lead to healing and change. I have participated in two of the more remarkable Truth and Reconciliation processes, the first as an observer, the other as an advisor. The former is perhaps the most widely known and discussed TRC process, the one which took place in South Africa from 1996 to 1998 that examined the entire apartheid era in …

Underneath Her Pantsuit: A Reflection On Hanna Rosin's The End Of Men, Aziza Ahmed

Faculty Scholarship

In her book, The End of Men, ¹ Hanna Rosin argues that women have “surpassed” men. This new reality necessitates a reevaluation of marriage, family, sex, and gender roles.² To further her claim, Rosin dedicates a chapter of her book to the topic of violence committed by women. She argues that women are becoming more violent³ :

The new [trope] taps into a fear that as they gain more power, women will use violence and their new specialized skills to get what they want. Singular and exotic though these cases may be, they raise the broader unsettling possibility …

“Rugged Vaginas” And “Vulnerable Rectums”: The Sexual Identity, Epidemiology, And Law Of The Global Hiv Epidemic, Aziza Ahmed

Faculty Scholarship

AIDS remains amongst the leading causes of death globally. Identity is the primary mode of understanding HIV and organizing in response to the HIV epidemic. In this Article, I examine how epidemiology and human rights activism co-produce ideas of identity and risk. I call this the "identity/risk narrative ": the commonsense understanding about an identity group's HIV risk. For example, epidemiology offers the biological narrative of risk: anal sex and the weak rectal lining make men who have sex with men more vulnerable to HIV; while the fragility of a woman's vaginal wall provides a biological foundation for women's vulnerability. …

Taking A Break From Acrimony: The Feminist Method Of Ann Scales, Katherine M. Franke

Faculty Scholarship

In this Essay, written as part of a symposium honoring the work of Professor Ann Scales, Professor Katherine Franke explores how Professor Scales may have approached the cutting edge problem of same-sex couples divorcing. Professor Scales's work evidenced a deep commitment to the twin projects of recognizing structural gender disadvantage suffered by women and the tyranny of gender stereotypes. This Essay speculates that Professor Scales's feminist commitments would be unsettled by the application to divorcing same-sex couples of rules and norms of divorce forged in the heterosexual context where gender inequality set the parameters of justice. Indeed, Franke speculates that …

Revisiting Mary Ann Glendon: Abortion, Divorce, Dependency, And Rights Talk In Western Law, Margaret F. Brinig, Linda C. Mcclain

Journal Articles

This essay revisits Mary Ann Glendon’s comparative law study, Abortion and Divorce in Western Law and her subsequent book, Rights Talk: The Impoverishment of Political Discourse. Glendon’s comparative study actually included a third topic: “forms of dependency which are connected with pregnancy, marriage, and child raising.” The topic of dependency has obvious relevance to consideration of intergenerational obligations and the interplay between family responsibility and societal responsibility for addressing dependency needs. A central claim Glendon made in both books is that the U.S. legal tradition is “libertarian,” views individuals as “lone rights bearers,” and exalts the “right to be …

Why Eu Work-Family Reconciliation Policies Fail In Italy: A Feminist Legal Analysis, Chrystal Orozco

Master's Theses

Following the establishment of the European Parental Leave Directive (96/34/EC), the female employment rate in Italy is still ranked the third lowest in the European Union (EU) and Italian women continue to do twice as much household work as Italian men. Parents, especially women, struggle to find a balance between professional work and their family lives in a society that encourages the traditional gendered roles of the housewife and the breadwinner. The following study is a theoretical analysis of the Parental Leave Directive and the potential domestic influences that may prevent Italy from progressing socially towards gender equality. This study …

Vawa @ 20: Building The Knowledge Base: Research Funding Through Vawa, Claire M. Renzetti, Rebecca M. Campbell, Allison Adair

City University of New York Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Case For Reforming The Program's Spouse Benefits While "Saving Social Security", Peter W. Martin

Cornell Law Faculty Working Papers

The Social Security Act currently provides secondary benefits to the wives or widows of covered workers who retire, become disabled, or die. To qualify, a woman must have been married to the worker for a short period and must be old (sixty-two, dropping to sixty in the case of a widow, fifty in the case of a disabled widow) or caring for children under sixteen. If a wife’s or widow’s primary retired-worker or disability benefits equal or exceed her secondary benefit entitlement, she receives only the primary benefits. However, if her secondary benefit amount is greater she receives both her …

Dealing With The Past In A Post-Conflict Society: Does The Participation Of Women Matter? Insights From Northern Ireland, Catherine O'Rourke

William & Mary Journal of Race, Gender, and Social Justice

No abstract provided.