Gender and Public Policy (GPP)

INAF U6143 Gender, Globalization, and Human Rights. 3.00 Points.

Prerequisites: Students who have not taken either International Human Rights Law or International Law must obtain instructor permission to enroll

This course introduces students to fundamental human rights associated with gender and the global processes through which they have been shaped and reshaped. Focusing primarily but not exclusively on women’s rights and drawing on treaties, cases, programmatic documents, statistical data and other materials, we ask how gender inequalities are addressed at a global and regional level, how such commitments resonate at a national level, and how they are being challenged today. Why are specific measures are needed to protect against gender-based discrimination if human rights are putatively universal? Does the current global gender rights framework work effectively for all those subject to gender-based discrimination? Which points of view on gender does it incorporate and promote, and which does it “silence”? How do factors such as citizenship, nationality, sexual orientation and gender identity, race, ethnicity, religion and class affect the protection of gender rights? How can the current global gender rights framework help address discrimination and inequality with respect to fundamental issues of personhood such as identity, bodily integrity, and the right to life? How can it be deployed to address the implications of socioeconomic processes closely linked to globalization, such as migration or the emergence of markets in reproduction? Can it play a role in times of widespread political turmoil and of war?

INAF U6372 Women and Leadership: Designing Policy for Gender Equity. 1.50 Point.

This course explores how public policy can support the development of women leaders. In recent years, efforts to increase the number of women in senior leadership positions on corporate boards, in C-suites and in government, have reflected a call for gender equity in the spaces controlling levers of power.

INAF U6374 Mainstreaming Gender in Global Affairs. 3.00 Points.

This course introduces students to gender mainstreaming, gender analysis and intersectionality as theory and method, as well as the associated set of strategies, tools and skills applicable to international and public policy contexts. Through a combination of empirical research, structural theorizing, social critique, and case studies, students will become acquainted with the global dimensions of feminist organizing and policy-making necessary for working in a variety of specialty policy fields such as education, public health, international finance, sustainable development, peace and security, organizational management and economic development.

INAF U6375 Gender and Livelihoods. 1.50 Point.

The humanitarian sector has been stretched and overwhelmed by the confluence of intersecting events - the largest numbers of forcibly displaced persons ever recorded, larger and more frequent natural disasters, intractable conflicts, and limited resources that are unable to meet even the basic needs of those affected. This requires a radical rethink of how humanitarian work is conceived and delivered. Humanitarians must shift from delivering aid to promoting self-reliance as soon as possible to reduce vulnerability and allow for the re-targeting of resources to the greatest need. Changing gender roles and norms in contexts of conflict and displacement provide new opportunities to promote self-reliance and gender equality. The course will assess the changing contexts and implications for the future of humanitarian work with a focus on the research and practice work Professor Buscher has undertaken in humanitarian and post-conflict contexts for the past twenty years including a focus on urban displacement, livelihoods and youth, gender, and protection. The course will address the effects of conflict on livelihoods, how livelihoods can be re-vitalized during population displacement, how promoting economic self-reliance underpins all other humanitarian work, the impact on the protection of women and men, and how these programs are prerequisite for and can be linked with post-conflict recovery and development. The impact of conflict, displacement and livelihoods on gender, gender norms, and gender power relations will be addressed throughout.

INAF U6376 Transnational LGBTI Rights. 1.50 Point.

In May 2016, a highly contested resolution passed the UN Human Rights Council condemning discrimination and violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity and establishing the system’s first ever Independent Expert on the same themes. The protracted fight for the resolution demonstrated how lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) rights were, and remain, among the most controversial issues in international human rights, law, and public policy. Contestations around LGBTI rights are frequently framed in terms of ‘human rights’ versus ‘traditional values’ which underscores a central challenge to LGBTI rights claims – how to make universalizing claims based on identities that are historically contingent and culturally produced. This course will explore how LGBTI rights impact mainstream debates, such as bilateral relations and good governance, while also teaching students to understand the challenges of fulfilling LGBTI rights, such as access to legal recognition for same-sex partnerships and transgender people. The course will also explore the ways in which anti-LGBTI animus is deployed for political effect and seek to understand the processes whereby LGBTI rights become lightning rods for broader social and political cleavages. This course offers students an opportunity to reflect, in-depth, on the challenges and opportunities of working on LGBTI rights transnationally, surveys debates within the field, and equips students to competently address LGBTI rights as they manifest across a range of academic and professional interests. Breaking news and contemporary debates will be integrated into the course work.

INAF U6361 Gender, Conflict, and Peacebuilding. 1.50 Point.

October 2023 marks 23 years since the UN Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 1325 on women, peace and security. An additional 9 resolutions have since been adopted. This agenda is the first time in the UN’s 50-year history that women’s experiences and particularly their contributions to the promotion of peace and security in contexts of violent conflict, closed political space and rising extremism is acknowledged. It is also the first time that the need for women’s protection was noted strongly. The resolution marks a clear watershed in the evolving efforts to promote human security as a normative framework for the international community. Although the primary focus is on women, the emerging discourse has drawn increasing attention to the need for gendered analysis – i.e., addressing the conditions/experiences of women, men, intersectionality - in conflict and peacebuilding. The agenda has been prescient for understanding and addressing conflict and insecurity in recent decades. Yet with the abandonment of Afghan women during the US negotiations with the Taliban, and the outbreak of the Ukraine war, the WPS agenda and related human security and peacebuilding agendas of the international system have been under severe strain. This intensive 2-day seminar (14 hours) ＆ online review/teamwork will provide an overview of the evolving field of gender, peace and security. Drawing on empirical research and practice, the modules will address the following issues: Historical and geopolitical evolution and context in which the WPS and GPS fields have arisen; Attaining SCR 1325 and the expansion of the WPS policy agenda with attention to subsequent resolutions and key pillars of this agenda – notably women’s participation in peace and security, protection issues, peacekeeping and conflict prevention including conflict related sexual violence. Implications of the Afghan withdrawal, Ukraine conflict, rising authoritarianism and extremisms on gender, peace and security issues. Gender analysis and the practical application of a gendered lens to key mediation, security and peacebuilding and security processes. Experiences and lessons from women’s peace coalitions and women’s contributions to peacebuilding including countering/preventing violent extremism Discussion of Sexual violence in conflict Women and peacekeeping including issues of sexual exploitation and abuse The class will involve a mix of interactive discussions, lectures and group exercises. The course will enable students to question ‘business as usual’ and prepare them to undertake better research, analysis, practice and policy careers within peacebuilding and related fields. The course will cover a combination of theory and real-world cases, helping to contextualize many of key concepts covered in the course. The full-day sessions also provide an opportunity for the professor and students to exchange lessons and reflections regarding their experiences in the workplace, career paths and prospects in the field of international peace and security, with attention to the changing geopolitical environment.

INAF U6403 Regulating Reproduction: Care, Procreation ＆ Equality. 3.00 Points.

The organization and regulation of reproduction varies considerably across societies, but everywhere it directly impacts, and is impacted by, gender relations. These relations are generally marked by inequalities that not only distinguish the life chances of individuals on the basis of sex and gender but also reflect intersectional factors including race, class, ethnicity, national origin and religion. For the last several decades, the organization of reproduction has been intensely contested. Who can, must, should or should not bear or care for children and how; what is a family and who can form one; who is a child, a mother or father; what implications flow from these statuses for individual rights and obligations within or beyond families and how do they impact life chances; and, how do individual reproductive rights relate to other public policy concerns, such as nation-building, population declines, or the migration of care workers? Questions such as these are at the center of seemingly ceaseless debates between social movements, national governments and international organizations. This course explores these issues, primarily through the lens of states of the “global north”, by focusing on care and procreation.

INAF U6960 Gender-Based Violence against Women. 1.50 Point.

It is estimated that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) affects one-third of all women during their lifetime. GBV affects women’s health, mental health, labor market outcomes, and their overall wellbeing. GBV also increases the costs of health services, affects labor productivity outputs, and creates the need for additional counseling and psychological services. Can supporting women’s empowerment, reducing gender disparities, promoting positive masculinities, and changing norms and attitudes which foster violence help to end GBV? And, what have we learned about good practices that can be mobilized to attain these ends? This course focuses on four areas: legal and institutional reform, health, education and economic empowerment. In each, we will identify good practices as well as unintended consequences and shortcomings of interventions and policies implemented by governments, the private sector, NGOs, and grass roots organizations in South Asian, African and Latin American countries. By the end of this course students will be able to critically analyze and provide advice on interventions and policies aimed at preventing GBV and addressing the needs of survivors.

INAF U6958 Gender Data for Gender Equality. 1.50 Point.

Prerequisite Course: SIPAU6500 - Quantitative Analysis I. In recent years, despite enhanced awareness about the magnitude and multifaceted nature of gender inequalities on the one hand, and the promises of the ‘Data Revolution’ on the other hand, critical gaps remain in both data availability and usage to both fully capture the underlying dynamics, drivers and outcomes of gender inequalities, and to promote gender equality. The goal of this course is to train advanced students on the historical and latest discussions, opportunities, challenges, requirements and limitations of leveraging various types of data to fill ‘gender data gaps’ and promote gender equality. It is designed as an intermediate-level course on the issue that touches on its historical, sociopolitical, cultural and economic dimensions, as well as technical and analytical aspects related to data access, reliability, and the political economy and ethics of collecting, analyzing and using data for social change. It fundamentally seeks to ask and partially address the question of whether and how data, including ‘traditional’ data (such as official statistic and quantitively and qualitative survey data) and non-traditional data (such as social media and online data, telecom operators’ data, satellite imagery) can be leveraged concretely to pursue greater gender equality through analysis, advocacy and policy. It will also discuss risks associated with data collection and analysis and digital technologies more broadly including those related to privacy and safety, biases, harassment, and discrimination. In doing so, it will zoom in on a few sensitive themes, including sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), child marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM), as well as socioeconomic and political empowerment and inclusion, especially although not exclusively in countries and regions of the “Global South” (or “Global Majority”). The curriculum will combine lectures, group discussions, hands-on tutorials, and a group project

INAF U8785 Gender, Politics and Development: Theory, Policy ＆ Practice. 3.00 Points.

In this course, we approach gender, politics and development in terms of theory, policy and practice. We explore multiple constructions of gender in development discourse; the intersection of gender with other social categories and with dominant economic and political trends; and the ways in which gender norms inform the different approaches of governments, development agencies, civil society organizations, and the private sector. We apply a critical gender lens to a wide range of development sectors and issue areas, including economic development, political participation, education and health, environment and climate change, and conflict and displacement. We also consider current debates and approaches related to gender mainstreaming and gender metrics in development practice. Students engage with the course material through class discussion, exercises and case studies, and the development of a gender-related project proposal.

PUAF U8351 Race, Gender and Political Change. 1.50 Point.

This course will examine the impact that the current social and racial justice awakening (or reckoning), at the intersection of race and gender, is having on the US politics and policy. We will look at this along several dimensions, including politics, voting rights and voter suppression, governing and philanthropy. Ultimately, political change is the natural consequence of social and economic disruption, but will the change that is to come be of the kind that activists in movements such as the Me Too movement, Black Lives Matter, and gender equity leaders have envisioned? If the US has yet to fulfill the promise of a truly representative government, what solutions might there be to address systemic barriers to power its citizens face on the basis of race and gender? There is an opportunity to influence the broader national conversation with the very best ideas and work to implement them, but this unique moment in history and the opportunity that comes with it will not last forever. Our goal will be to critically examine and explain these systemic barriers to political power found along racial and gender lines. We will look at the causes and consequences of racial, economic and social inequality, and how that plays out in different systems, policies and spaces. In addition to readings, students will benefit from the practical knowledge of guest lecturers drawn from the political sphere. This course will help prepare policy makers and elected officials in their efforts to create an equitable government for all citizens regardless of race or gender.

INAF U6144 Campaigning for Change through Media, Mobilization ＆ the Power of Persuasion. 3.00 Points.

This course will examine the full spectrum of strategies and skills for executing a successful campaign. We will focus on the role of traditional media, digital mobilization, and strategic communications intersect to raise awareness and move policy on human rights issues. By the end of the course, you will have built your own advocacy campaign, from developing the change theory to constructing a media plan to envisioning creative concepts to engage the public. We will also exercise the skills of advocacy letter and op-ed writing to influence change.

INAF U6173 Migration and Human Development. 3.00 Points.

International migration's substantial economic and social effects are at the forefront of today's academic discussion, international debate as well as national policy strategies. This course introduces students to the key notions, norms, and narratives of international migration from economic, legal, sociological, international relations, and normative perspectives. Students will learn about transnational livelihood strategies and channels through which migration and migrants can enhance human development especially in their countries of origin, while creating better opportunities for themselves and contributing to their communities of destination. This includes in-depth discussions of the determinants, flows and effects of emigration, immigration, return, financial and social remittances, and diaspora investment. Highlighting migration phenomena in different scenarios in the global North, as well as in the global South, the course emphasizes the agency of migrants and gender differences in the experiences and effects, as well as the role their legal status plays. It will address the root causes of migration and the protection of migrants' human, social and labor rights. The course also furthers participants' understanding of the policy responses in both, the international and the domestic spheres. To this end, it introduces students to key policies and governance schemes, including temporary labor migration programs, bilateral labor migration agreements, and diaspora engagement institutions.

INAF U6451 Gender and Finance. 1.50 Point.

Money influences power. Access to capital and financial products and services determines who has the ability not only to best meet their basic financial needs, but to build and grow businesses, to become property owners, to invest and build wealth, to take risk, and to be full participants in the political and financial economy. This course will examine the role and impact of gender in the financial sector and its implications for gender equity more broadly. We will explore the implications of gender differences in financial experience, access, and opportunity. We will examine the historic and psychological underpinnings of gender inequities in the financial sector and their impacts in both the traditional and emerging financial sectors. We will look at what drives change in the financial sector, including the impact of seismic financial and societal transitions. Our goal will be to identify recommendations and opportunities to impact the financial sector toward greater gender equity

INAF U6491 Humanitarian Action in Challenging Environments. 3 Points.

Not offered during 2024-2025 academic year.

Recent years have seen an increase in the number of conflict related humanitarian emergencies that last for a protracted period of time. From a humanitarian operations perspective, these emergencies tend to be characterized by complex political conflict, often in fragile or failed states, a high level of insecurity for humanitarian personnel and low levels of access to populations in need of assistance. In confronting this situation, the humanitarian community has been challenged to adapt to new ways of operating in order to reach populations in need. This course seeks to introduce students to how humanitarian practitioners are seeking to overcome challenges in these environments. The course will consider the following topics through the lens of innovation: Safety and security of humanitarian personnel and beneficiaries of assistance. Humanitarian access negotiations. Providing humanitarian assistance in counter-terrorism contexts. Providing humanitarian aid in urban warfare contexts. Civil-military coordination. The use of humanitarian policy and advocacy. Remote management of operations. Working in partnership with local organizations and the “localization” of aid. New technologies to support assessment, delivery and monitoring and evaluation. Private sector engagement in challenging environments. Innovation and reform in the humanitarian sector.

INAF U6742 Gender and International Security. 3.00 Points.

Gender has important implications for international security policy. Gender bias influences policy choices. It can lead to misunderstandings of military capability, especially for nonstate armed groups whose members include women combatants and supporters. It can aggravate the causes of war and lead to increased incidence of internal and interstate violence in settings where women are systematically mistreated or where sex imbalances create instability. And gender bias can discourage talented women from pursuing careers in security policy, denying states access to the talent and abilities in half their populations. The intersection between gender and international security has been codified internationally since at least 2000 with the passage of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS). Other international security organizations, including NATO, have created leadership positions and devised plans related to WPS. Finally, the United States passed the Women, Peace, and Security Act in 2017 and created associated policies focused on integrating gender into the work of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Defense. The course will be a sustained exploration of the ways in which gender identities and associated identity power dynamics influence international conflict, internal conflict, and international security policy. Students will gain this knowledge through specific examples and case studies and will learn how to conduct their own gender analyses of situations and environments. During the semester, students will practice their gender analysis skills through research, writing, and presentations related to gender and security. The course will be a discussion-based seminar enabling students to work through ideas and concepts collaboratively. To begin the exploration of the topic, the class will work to craft definitions of international security and gender and discuss why these concepts can be challenging to define or understand. Subsequent classes will build upon these definitions and discuss how gender intersects with other identity factors. The course will focus on the ways in which security institutions themselves are gendered and how to create gender responsive policies. After examining the gender dynamics of security institutions, students will examine gendered strategies in conflict and in state responses to conflict dynamics.

INAF U6743 Advancing Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, ＆ Expression in Int'l Development. 1.50 Point.

This course explores the economic development outcomes of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ ) people worldwide, as well as strategies and approaches to promote their well-being through the international development sector. Despite some legal and social advances in the past two decades for some LGBTQ people, many continue to face widespread poverty, discrimination, and violence worldwide based on their sexual orientation, gender identity and expression (SOGIE). Economic development institutions are now expected to better include LGBTQ people in their analytical and programmatic agendas. The course considers the history of LGBTQ inclusion within the field of economic development, starting with the global HIV/AIDs epidemic and other social issues that have created entry points for these issues; the specific economic development challenges of the community; the current state of LGBTQ inclusion and the institutional response; the role of the private sector and the risks of “pink-washing”; and what lessons can be learned in terms of organizational and institutional change.

INAF U6914 Policies and Practices in Human-Centered Digital Development. 3.00 Points.

The course takes a theoretical and critical look at the field from the instructor’s many years of experience working in technology and development, from organizations as diverse as Microsoft Research India to UN Women. ICTs have the power to fundamentally transform the lives of billions. Yet technological solutions are often offered as a “silver bullet”, not grounded in broader socio-economic networks. The course will discuss several case-studies in order to ground theory in practice, and will introduce students to several initiatives which have enabled “development” through ICTs, such as India’s Aadhaar, Kenya’s M-Pesa and others. We will also have participation from invited guest speakers. Through a group assignment, students will apply the principles and good practices explored in the course to develop a concrete digital development proposal. Students who are interested in careers in international development with a focus on technology will find this course a useful foundation.

INAF U6958 Gender Data for Gender Equality. 1.50 Point.

Prerequisite Course: SIPAU6500 - Quantitative Analysis I. In recent years, despite enhanced awareness about the magnitude and multifaceted nature of gender inequalities on the one hand, and the promises of the ‘Data Revolution’ on the other hand, critical gaps remain in both data availability and usage to both fully capture the underlying dynamics, drivers and outcomes of gender inequalities, and to promote gender equality. The goal of this course is to train advanced students on the historical and latest discussions, opportunities, challenges, requirements and limitations of leveraging various types of data to fill ‘gender data gaps’ and promote gender equality. It is designed as an intermediate-level course on the issue that touches on its historical, sociopolitical, cultural and economic dimensions, as well as technical and analytical aspects related to data access, reliability, and the political economy and ethics of collecting, analyzing and using data for social change. It fundamentally seeks to ask and partially address the question of whether and how data, including ‘traditional’ data (such as official statistic and quantitively and qualitative survey data) and non-traditional data (such as social media and online data, telecom operators’ data, satellite imagery) can be leveraged concretely to pursue greater gender equality through analysis, advocacy and policy. It will also discuss risks associated with data collection and analysis and digital technologies more broadly including those related to privacy and safety, biases, harassment, and discrimination. In doing so, it will zoom in on a few sensitive themes, including sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), child marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM), as well as socioeconomic and political empowerment and inclusion, especially although not exclusively in countries and regions of the “Global South” (or “Global Majority”). The curriculum will combine lectures, group discussions, hands-on tutorials, and a group project

INAF U8690 Managing Humanitarian Emergencies. 3.00 Points.

This course focuses on the management of humanitarian operations and intends to provide students with the opportunity to explore critical issues in the humanitarian system. It helps students understand debates in the humanitarian system; develop a framework of analysis that they can use in headquarters and the field; and acquire a toolkit to help them succeed as aid workers. This is a practical course that will be of interest to those wishing to work with an aid agency, directly or indirectly with disaster-affected populations, or those who simply want to better understand the system and the opportunities and challenges that humanitarians face. Upon completing this course, students will have an understanding of: 1. The breadth of program and management issues in humanitarian responses, including the humanitarian principles; the program cycle; the emergency spectrum (preparedness, response, recovery); fundraising; scaling up; human resources, logistics, financial management, security management, etc.; 2. How to manage operational decision-making processes in complex environments; 3. Working within the international aid system (coordinating with other actors, participation in consolidated mechanisms, etc.); 4. Emerging issues that affect humanitarian operations and agency responses to them

PUAF U6210 Women’s Economic Security in the United States. 0.50 Points.

Women in the United States face economic insecurity – too many families do not have access to high-quality, affordable care, including child care and long-term care; the United States is the only OECD country and one of only six nations worldwide without nationally guaranteed paid leave; and the gender wage gap persists across nearly every occupation and education level. Improving women’s economic security and boosting women’s labor force participation are critical for advancing gender equality in the United States and imperative for overall growth and stability of the U.S. economy. This policy lab will introduce students to the main causes contributing to women’s economic insecurity in the United States and the growing body of federal and state law and legislative proposals to address these causes

PUAF U6228 Comparative Social Welfare Policy. 3.00 Points.

This course explores welfare systems from a comparative perspective and analyzes the political, economic, socio-cultural, and historical factors that shape and sustain them in various parts of the world. It pays particular attention to the development of critical national social welfare policies, such as social security, health care, unemployment insurance, social assistance, public employment and training, and emerging best practices and challenges in these areas. The course also analyzes pressing global/regional trends (e.g., the greying of societies, labor market stratification, social innovation, and affordable housing)

PUAF U8349 Intersections of Race and Power in Development. 3.00 Points.

While intersectionality is beginning to take hold within the international aid and development industry, addressing race as a construct that has shaped the history, practice and culture of development as a whole is just emerging across much of the sector. This course will be a participatory exploration of concepts and practices of race and power in international development. We will draw on critical race, feminist, intersectionality and decolonial conceptual frameworks and tools, and examine different sites of transformation throughout the course. The ‘arc’ of the course will be from self/individual level, to exploring relevant concepts, learning frameworks for analysis and strategizing, engaging with practice and determining a course of inquiry and action in the context of a development organization or program. Students will be engaged with readings, group discussions, discussions with guest practitioners and group projects. The course will be a participatory exploration, at multiple levels - individual, interpersonal, organization and society – of how race and racism operate in international development institutions and programs. They will reflect on their own understanding of and experiences of race, power, privilege, and marginalization and reflect on how intersecting identities shape their interactions with others. Students will examine the colonial history of international development, and the ways in which neo-colonial attitudes persist in contemporary development systems, organizations, policies and practices and learn about tools and frameworks to better understand these dynamics and create change strategies to transform them

PUAF U8357 Securing Full Economic and Political Citizenship for All Americans. 1.50 Point.

This course will explore how members of civil society realize their full economic and political citizenship in America. Students will examine the structural design of American political institutions, federal policy, and the individuals that are charged with the responsibility of ensuring advancement to economic independence as full citizens. What is it about the design of these policies and their implementation that prevents the achievement of economic independence for so many people in protective classes that are represented in the Civil Rights Act and other legislation? What is the relationship between economic independence and the exercise of full political citizenship? During this coursework, students will examine the correlation between economic independence and the full participation around the decisions that are made in their lives. We will look closely at why government-issued social supports have historically eliminated an individual’s decision-making power as a pre-requisite for receiving benefits. We will review specific groups where this most frequently applies. We will identify and examine federal policies and programs that were created to support protected classes of people, governing bodies, and private institutions responsible for implementation. This course will equip students with the skills necessary to analyze current and former policy and develop their own innovative solutions that increases access to economic opportunities which leads to active citizenship.