research

Care for others, especially children, the elderly, the disabled, and those who are sick or injured, is an essential part of familial and societal life.  All persons, at various points in their lives, experience dependency, and much of the work of care takes place in an informal, unpaid context.  The fact that the majority of such work is done by women is seen by feminists, including those who work in the context of the United Nations, as inherently problematic.  They call for the redistribution of care within the home and for more women to work in the formal economy as a way to achieve gender equality.  However, the solutions they present are in many ways worse than the “problem” they seek to solve.  This Definitions examines the treatment of care within the UN system and considers whether the policy prescriptions it promotes would actually improve the status of women in society and in the family.

Statement and Submissions

Trafficking in persons is a serious problem because it attacks the intrinsic dignity of persons and violates their fundamental rights to life, liberty, and the ability to determine and pursue their own goals.  Combating human trafficking requires, first and foremost, the recognition that human persons are not commodities to be bought and sold, whether for sex, for labor, or for any other purpose, including the desire to have a child.