LEGL2112 Gender Policy and Law

2017

4.5

1 x 2-hour workshop weekly

LEGL2003 has been successfully completed

Australia's legal system is founded on the principle that all people are equal under the law. But the evidence suggests that women and men have not been equal in a number of respects. Policy and law reforms such as equal opportunity and anti-discrimination legislation have attempted to improve gender equality. But are women and men becoming more equal? The topic introduces you to the diverse literature that assesses gendered patterns of employment, parenthood and violence. The capacity of policy and laws to reduce gender inequalities in everyday life will also be examined. You will make use of multiple sources of evidence including scholarly literature, mass media and websites related to current gender issues. Ideas for effective law reform will also be explored.

This topic aims to introduce students to:

• a number of the key features of inequality between women and men before the law

• the literature and theories that attempt to explain gender inequalities

• the dilemmas of implementing policy and law reforms to improve gender equality

At the completion of this topic you will be able to:

• analyse and criticise various policy and law debates relating to gender inequality

• read, comprehend and criticise a number of relevant debates and models

• demonstrate an understanding of the limits and possibilities of policy and law reform