Human Rights Minor at UMass Boston

Human Rights Minor at UMass Boston The Human Rights Minor at UMass Boston is an interdisciplinary program of study open to students fro

The Human Rights Minor at UMass Boston is an interdisciplinary program of study open to students from all disciplines. Housed in the Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, the minor emerged from the student-faculty-community collaboration of the Human Rights Working Group, which seeks to foster and sustain a human rights community on campus and beyond. Although you may have heard of

organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, you may have wondered what it means to commit oneself to the study and practice of human rights. In this minor, we will learn about the concept of human rights as it developed in the 20th century and the challenges of implementing a universal framework in a culturally diverse, radically unequal and gendered world. International human rights frameworks express aspirations to create a world in which each and every person can live a life of dignity, free from fear and want. Human rights concepts are continuously evolving through the contributions of activists, academics and community participants. Women and feminists from all parts of the world have been at the forefront of this evolution toward creating a world that is more just and equitable. Topics covered in the courses include an overview of United Nations human rights conventions and norms as adopted by states, as well as critiques of human rights systems with particular emphasis on the role that social, political and feminist movements have had on transforming human rights frameworks to better address the situation of marginalized populations globally. Throughout the minor, we will consider the influence of culture, cross-cultural interaction, colonial perspectives and our own global and gender perspectives on creating human rights consciousness locally and globally. A total of six courses are required for completing the minor. To declare your Human Rights Minor please visit the WGS office in Wheatley Hall, 5th floor, room 04A.

Wonderful event with Professor Beth Richie on abolition, feminism, and human rights. March 5.
03/07/2026

Wonderful event with Professor Beth Richie on abolition, feminism, and human rights. March 5.

03/03/2026
02/17/2024
Join us February 14: Conversations on South Asia with Elora Halim Chowdhury12:15–1:15 PM ET (via Zoom)Cinematic media ha...
02/09/2023

Join us February 14: Conversations on South Asia with Elora Halim Chowdhury

12:15–1:15 PM ET (via Zoom)
Cinematic media have long been important for remembering and memorializing the 1971 Bangladesh War of Liberation (or, Muktijuddho). They have also been important vehicles for critiquing and reconciling with war’s trauma.
Analyzing Muktijuddho films through Black and transnational feminist frameworks, Elora Halim Chowdhury (University of Massachusetts Boston) considers the power and potential of human rights cinema in her latest book, Ethical Encounters: Transnational Feminism, Human Rights, and War Cinema in Bangladesh (Temple University Press, 2022). As Chowdhury shows, cinematic representations not only portray marginalized experiences but also put those experiences on a global stage.
Join us to learn more!

https://tinyurl.com/ChowdhurySouthAsia

Film and media scholars Gwendolyn S. Kirk (Indiana University Bloomington) and Alka Kurian (University of Washington Bothell) will be joining the author for this discussion.

Please mark your calendars for a WGS forum Celebrating International Women’s Day:  Reproductive (In)Justice After the Fa...
02/09/2023

Please mark your calendars for a WGS forum Celebrating International Women’s Day:

Reproductive (In)Justice After the Fall of Roe

Featured speaker:

Brigitte Amiri, Deputy Director, ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project

Joined by panelists:

WGS Prof. Shoshanna Ehrlich
WGS Prof. Chris Barcelos
&
WGS Major Jackie Miranda


Wednesday March 8th 2-4
Campus Center Ballroom A

We still have some human rights events lined up for the Fall Semester. See the flyer for more details!
12/02/2022

We still have some human rights events lined up for the Fall Semester. See the flyer for more details!

On Tuesday, December 6th Dr. Harleen Singh will deliver a Human Rights Keynote Lecture titled: Honorable Deaths / Dishon...
12/02/2022

On Tuesday, December 6th Dr. Harleen Singh will deliver a Human Rights Keynote Lecture titled:
Honorable Deaths / Dishonorable Lives: Narratives of Partition, Women, Silence, and Truth. See the flyer below for more details and we hope to see you there!

Do join us as we mark World AIDS Day today! There will be an AIDS-Ribbon Making activity as well as a lecture. Se flyer ...
12/01/2022

Do join us as we mark World AIDS Day today! There will be an AIDS-Ribbon Making activity as well as a lecture. Se flyer for more details.

It's almost time for our Fall Human Rights Keynote! Will we see you there on December 6th?
11/29/2022

It's almost time for our Fall Human Rights Keynote! Will we see you there on December 6th?

Don't miss our next fabulous Human Rights event coming up on December 5th!
11/29/2022

Don't miss our next fabulous Human Rights event coming up on December 5th!

Don't miss your chance to see Dr. Rachel Afi Quinn next week on December 5th!

Her talk will focus on Gender and Sexuality in Ghana

Join us at 11am! Zoom link is embedded

Address

100 Morrissey Boulevard
Boston, MA
02125

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Human Rights Minor at UMass Boston posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The University

Send a message to Human Rights Minor at UMass Boston:

Share