AP/POLS 4125 3.00

Women and Current Policy Issues

This course explores a range of public policy issues relevant to women's lives. We will explore these issues in light of different feminist concerns and strategies for state intervention. We begin with a look at the recommendations of the Royal Commission on the Status of Women and the strengths and weaknesses of how it saw women's issues shaping public policy. We then examine policy developments in subsequent decades, and the impact of state policies in the areas of: economics, human rights, reproduction, family, sexuality and violence. We will critically explore feminist strategies for change throughout this time period and the ways state structures and processes responded to the pressure for change.