Collaborative Research: Examining Compliance with Rights Regimes

University Of Kentucky Research Foundation, Lexington KY

Investigators

Abstract

Title: Collaborative Research: Examining Compliance with Rights Regimes Abstract: The protection of human rights, including women's rights, is a cornerstone of economic development, social progress, and the promotion of peace around the globe. While numerous international institutions seek to protect women's rights, it remains unclear if, when, and how these institutions can effectively safeguard women?s rights. Understanding the processes by which political leaders and citizens mobilize around international women?s rights laws and institutions is critical for improving the efficacy of these institutions. Accordingly, this project will focus on state compliance with international human rights rulings and recommendations on women's rights issues. This project will examine the rulings and recommendations of the European Court of Human Rights, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, and the UN Universal Periodic Review that are handed down to European states on issues of women's rights. As well, the research will draw on interviews and case studies in Denmark, The Netherlands, Norway, and Spain, each of which has strong democratic institutions but varying levels of compliance with international women?s rights institutions? recommendations. The project will create and disseminate a new dataset on women's rights recommendations, the Women?s Rights Recommendation Digital Database, which will be used for a battery of statistical tests to identify the factors that affect compliance with international women's rights recommendations. The database, statistical analyses, interviews, and case studies will provide insight into the macro-level factors that impact the effectiveness of women?s rights institutions and the processes behind compliance with international women's rights recommendations. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.