Island School Global Politics
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    • Pre-IB Course >
      • 1. What is global politics?
      • 2. How is the course assessed?
      • 3. How can we analyse global politics?
      • 4. What political issues do I care about?
      • 5-7. Case Study: What does COVID-19 reveal about global politics?
      • 8. How can I prepare for studying global politics?
    • Unit 1: Power, Sovereignty and International Relations >
      • 1. What is the nature of power? >
        • 1. What is power?
        • 2. How does realism define power?
        • 3. How does liberalism define power?
        • 4. How do critical theories define power?
        • 5. Assessment: Which theory best explains power?
      • 2. How has state power evolved? >
        • 1. How did the nation state emerge?
        • 2. What is sovereignty?
        • 3. How is state sovereignty challenged today?
        • 4. What is the 'social contract'?
        • 5. What gives state power its legitimacy?
        • 6. Assessment: What type of states are more legitimate?
      • 3. Can other groups influence the power of the state? >
        • 1. How much power do IGOs have over states?
        • 2. Are NGOs insignificant global actors?
        • 3. How effective are social movements?
        • 4. How do resistance movements operate?
        • 5. Are political parties legitimate actors?
        • 6. Do informal forums undermine democracy?
        • 7. Assessment: How effective are other groups?
      • 4. Can global interactions improve the world? >
        • 1. Does global governance work?
        • 2. What role do treaties play?
        • 3. Does collective security work?
        • 4. Do alliances reduce or increase tensions?
        • 5. Does economic cooperation lead to interdependence?
        • 6. Is informal cooperation more effective?
        • 7. What drives modern conflicts?
        • 8. Is terrorism a reaction to globalisation?
        • 9. Can domestic conflicts influence global politics?
        • 10: Assessment: Can global interactions improve the world?
      • Unit 1: Exam Questions
    • Unit 2: Human Rights >
      • 1. How have Human Rights evolved? >
        • 1. What are human rights?
        • 2. How significant is the UDHR?
        • 3. How have human rights developed?
        • 4. Assessment: Are human rights a Western construct?
      • 2. Who or what protects our Human Rights? >
        • 1. How do states enforce human rights?
        • 2. Is international monitoring effective?
        • 3. Who enforces humanitarian law?
        • 4. How can civil society help monitor human rights?
        • 5. Assessment: Who should be responsible for human rights?
      • 3. How do Human Rights operate in practice? >
        • 1. Who makes claims on human rights?
        • 2. How are human rights contested locally?
        • 3. How are human rights contested nationally?
        • 4. How are human rights contested globally?
        • 5. Assessment: Does current human rights practice ensure equality?
      • 4. Why are Human Rights so contested? >
        • 1. Are collective rights more important?
        • 2. Are human rights universal?
        • 3. Are human rights too politicised?
        • 4. Assessment: How should we view human rights?
      • Unit 2: Exam Questions
    • Unit 3: Development >
      • 1. Why is development contested?
      • 2. How can development be helped or hindered?
      • 3. Can globalisation help increase development?
      • 4. Can development be made more sustainable?
    • Unit 4: Peace and Conflict >
      • 1. Is the use of violence ever justified? >
        • 1. What is peace, conflict and violence?
        • 2. What forms can conflict take?
        • 3. Is it right to ever go to war?
        • 4. Assessment: On what grounds can violence be justified?
      • 2. What causes conflicts to develop?
      • 3. How do conflicts evolve over time?
      • 4. Can peace be achieved by managing conflicts?
      • Unit 4: Exam Questions
    • HL Extension: Global Political Challenges >
      • Topic 1: Environment
      • Topic 2: Poverty
      • Topic 3: Health
      • Topic 4: Identity
      • Topic 5: Borders
      • Topic 6: Security
    • EA: Engagement Activity
    • EE: Extended Essay in Global Politics
    • News Blog
    • Research Links
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3. How are human rights contested nationally?

Activity 1 - How is gender equality codified?


Activity Tasks
  1. Identify - Using this website, identify where gender equality (women’s rights) is codified in international law. Make notes of the specific articles which codify women’s rights in the international framework. 
  2. Examine - Study the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). China is a state party to CEDAW, having signed and ratified the treaty in 1980. Locate answers to the following:
    1. Study Parts 1-4 of CEDAW. What obligations does it place on state parties in regards to women’s rights?
    2. Study Part 5 of CEDAW. What monitoring powers does the CEDAW Committee have? 
    3. According to CEDAW, who or what has power of promotion and enforcement in regards to women’s rights?
  3. Discuss - What additional powers of monitoring and enforcement does the Optional Protocol on CEDAW from 2000 introduce? Why do you think China has not signed this optional protocol?

Activity 2 - What progress has China made?


Activity Tasks
  1. ​Identify - Identify where gender equality is codified in China’s national laws. Use the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China (1982) and the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Rights and Interests of Women (1992) to identify the specific rights and legal protections that women have.
  2. Research - “Women hold up half the sky” is a famous slogan from Mao’s China, implying that gender equality is a key social goal in China. But is this true? Using the following sources, complete this worksheet by researching the progress modern China has made towards enforcing gender equality:
    1. CSIS - Do Women in China Face Greater Inequality than Women Elsewhere?
    2. SCMP - Gender equality from birth to politics in China has far to go: report  
    3. ILO - China promotes gender equality at work 
    4. CGTN - 25 years of gender equality in China 
    5. CGTN - Is China determined to achieve gender equality? - Chinadaily.com.cn 
    6. BBC - Chinese vlogger dies after 'set on fire by ex during live stream' 
    7. AL Jazeera - China women still battling tradition, 70 years after revolution 
    8. China Daily - Progress, challenges in gender equality in China - Opinion 
    9. Reuters - U.N. chief urges equality fight, U.S. slams China for 'murder' of baby girls 
    10. New York Times - The Challenge of Reporting on Women in China, Where Men Control the Narrative
    11. UN OHCHR - Visit to China 
    12. CEDAW Committee - 7th & 8th Periodic Report by China to CEDAW and Committee’s Reply
  3. Discuss - What progress has China made in regards to realising gender equality? Do violations of international human rights still occur in regards to gender equality?

Activity 3 - Has equality been achieved?


Activity Tasks
  1. Write - “Women hold up half the sky in China - To what extent do you agree with this statement in regards to gender equality in modern China?” 
  2. 3-2-1 Bridge - What progress has China made in realising gender equality? Review your research and write down 3 thoughts/ideas, 2 questions, and 1 metaphor that represent your current thinking.
  3. Reflect - Examine the following SCMP article. What does it reveal about gender equality in modern China?

Further Reading


OBLIGATORY READING
  1. SCMP Reporter. (2019, October 7). What is gender equality? A basic human right explained, and where inequality is most strongly felt. South China Morning Post.  
RECOMMENDED READING
  1. Heywood, A. (2011), Global Politics, pp. 412-421
SUPPLEMENTARY READING
  1. Bjorn Andersson. (2020, March 23). There can be no human rights without gender equality. World Economic Forum.

PREVIOUS LESSON - HOW ARE HUMAN RIGHTS CONTESTED LOCALLY?
NEXT LESSON - HOW ARE HUMAN RIGHTS CONTESTED GLOBALLY?

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  • Home
  • Explorations
  • MUN
    • ISMUN Blog
  • IBDP Global Politics
    • Pre-IB Course >
      • 1. What is global politics?
      • 2. How is the course assessed?
      • 3. How can we analyse global politics?
      • 4. What political issues do I care about?
      • 5-7. Case Study: What does COVID-19 reveal about global politics?
      • 8. How can I prepare for studying global politics?
    • Unit 1: Power, Sovereignty and International Relations >
      • 1. What is the nature of power? >
        • 1. What is power?
        • 2. How does realism define power?
        • 3. How does liberalism define power?
        • 4. How do critical theories define power?
        • 5. Assessment: Which theory best explains power?
      • 2. How has state power evolved? >
        • 1. How did the nation state emerge?
        • 2. What is sovereignty?
        • 3. How is state sovereignty challenged today?
        • 4. What is the 'social contract'?
        • 5. What gives state power its legitimacy?
        • 6. Assessment: What type of states are more legitimate?
      • 3. Can other groups influence the power of the state? >
        • 1. How much power do IGOs have over states?
        • 2. Are NGOs insignificant global actors?
        • 3. How effective are social movements?
        • 4. How do resistance movements operate?
        • 5. Are political parties legitimate actors?
        • 6. Do informal forums undermine democracy?
        • 7. Assessment: How effective are other groups?
      • 4. Can global interactions improve the world? >
        • 1. Does global governance work?
        • 2. What role do treaties play?
        • 3. Does collective security work?
        • 4. Do alliances reduce or increase tensions?
        • 5. Does economic cooperation lead to interdependence?
        • 6. Is informal cooperation more effective?
        • 7. What drives modern conflicts?
        • 8. Is terrorism a reaction to globalisation?
        • 9. Can domestic conflicts influence global politics?
        • 10: Assessment: Can global interactions improve the world?
      • Unit 1: Exam Questions
    • Unit 2: Human Rights >
      • 1. How have Human Rights evolved? >
        • 1. What are human rights?
        • 2. How significant is the UDHR?
        • 3. How have human rights developed?
        • 4. Assessment: Are human rights a Western construct?
      • 2. Who or what protects our Human Rights? >
        • 1. How do states enforce human rights?
        • 2. Is international monitoring effective?
        • 3. Who enforces humanitarian law?
        • 4. How can civil society help monitor human rights?
        • 5. Assessment: Who should be responsible for human rights?
      • 3. How do Human Rights operate in practice? >
        • 1. Who makes claims on human rights?
        • 2. How are human rights contested locally?
        • 3. How are human rights contested nationally?
        • 4. How are human rights contested globally?
        • 5. Assessment: Does current human rights practice ensure equality?
      • 4. Why are Human Rights so contested? >
        • 1. Are collective rights more important?
        • 2. Are human rights universal?
        • 3. Are human rights too politicised?
        • 4. Assessment: How should we view human rights?
      • Unit 2: Exam Questions
    • Unit 3: Development >
      • 1. Why is development contested?
      • 2. How can development be helped or hindered?
      • 3. Can globalisation help increase development?
      • 4. Can development be made more sustainable?
    • Unit 4: Peace and Conflict >
      • 1. Is the use of violence ever justified? >
        • 1. What is peace, conflict and violence?
        • 2. What forms can conflict take?
        • 3. Is it right to ever go to war?
        • 4. Assessment: On what grounds can violence be justified?
      • 2. What causes conflicts to develop?
      • 3. How do conflicts evolve over time?
      • 4. Can peace be achieved by managing conflicts?
      • Unit 4: Exam Questions
    • HL Extension: Global Political Challenges >
      • Topic 1: Environment
      • Topic 2: Poverty
      • Topic 3: Health
      • Topic 4: Identity
      • Topic 5: Borders
      • Topic 6: Security
    • EA: Engagement Activity
    • EE: Extended Essay in Global Politics
    • News Blog
    • Research Links
  • More