Dean's Seminar: Promoting Women’s Rights and Economic Development, in India and Beyond

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

3:30 PM-5:00 PM

Joel Oestriech, PhD, associate professor of politics and director of global studies

Promoting the economic rights of women, as well as their social and political rights, is now a central priority of development agencies around the world. But tremendous problems remain. In far too many countries, women and girls receive less education; they are denied economic opportunities, and their legal rights are routinely ignored. This is morally reprehensible in itself, but it also means that half of the human capacity of these countries remains underdeveloped, and removed from the larger economy.

United Nations development agencies and others in the field are moving towards a “rights-based approach to development,” which makes human rights promotion – rather than economic growth – the key goal of assistance. Looking at India in particular, we can see what such an approach would look like, and how it changes the way we think about delivering development aid. This has implications for women’s rights well beyond South Asia.

The College of Arts and Sciences' Dean's Seminars are free and open to the Drexel community. Light refreshments will be served.