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.