Call for papers: Exploring the human element of the oceans: the gender implications of the law of the sea (Mediolan, maj 2017)

Wydział Prawa Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca zaprasza do udziału w konferencji zatytułowanej "Exploring the human element of the oceans: the gender implications of the law of the sea", która odbędzie się w dniach od 25 do 26 maja 2017 r. w Mediolanie. Organizatorzy są szczególnie zainteresowani następującymi tematami:

• International law of the sea and gender. Is the law of the sea gender neutral? Could/should feminist legal theory engage more with the topic? Would law of the sea benefit from such an analytical approach?
• Torture, sexual abuses and trafficking at sea. Human trafficking, forced labour and slavery are endemic phenomena in the fisheries sector in some geographical areas; men and women, often due to their ethnicity, are sold and forced to work under physical and psychological threat. Women are the most vulnerable subject to torture, rape and sexual abuses. Do existing international norms adequately address the issue? What is peculiar about torture and sexual abuses when they occur at sea? Does international human rights law constitute a sufficient ground to tackle issues faced by women at sea or does it reinforce the depiction of women as victims rather than active participants within the international law of the sea framework?
• The fisheries sector. Women constitute a major force in the small-scale sector of fisheries and aquaculture, yet their contribution is often deemed as informal, making women invisible. Furthermore, women are particularly vulnerable to international policies and deals that push towards the large-scale commercial sector. In its recent General Recommendation no. 34, the CEDAW Committee has called on State parties to integrate a gender perspective in their development policies and strategies, including the aquaculture and fishery sector. Does the current international legal framework provide adequate protection? What can we say about the role played by CEDAW? What about rural women and their contribution in the small-scale fishery industry?
• Empowerment. Is there adequate access for women to the maritime sector? What tools, if any, are in place to favour their integration? What can international law say about the lack of women as members of national navies?
• Participation. How can women participate as policy makers and stakeholders in the maritime sector? Does the process of policy making adequately engage with women? Does the current legal framework reflect roles and participation of women in the maritime sector or does it ignore its gender implications?

Propozycje referatów (maksymalnie 500 słów) można przesyłać to 31 stycznia 2017 r. Więcej szczegółów można znaleźć tu.