Organising for women’s economic and social rights: how useful is the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights?

This article explores the potential strengths and weaknesses of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) as a focus for women’s international organising to claim economic and social rights. The article charts the ways in which international women’s groups have engaged with the UN human rights system and through an examination of feminist critiques of the ICESCR it proposes some strategies for civil society organisations to draw on to ensure the realisation of their economic and social rights. The article argues that there is a need to go beyond law-centred approaches and that women’s groups need to directly challenge the economic policies that hinder the realisation of their economic and social rights. Linkages between legal activists, feminist scholars and grassroots mobilisations for economic and social justice need to be strengthened if such goals are to be achieved.