Sex and Gender in International Human Rights Law through the Prism of the ‘Women’ Category in Recent Case Law

Abstract

This article problematises the current understanding of sex and gender in international human rights law, especially as it manifests itself in its treatment of the ‘women’ category. The problematic nature of the current state of international human rights law in this regard came recently to light in two cases: the majority judgment in the Y v France case of the European Court for Human Rights and the dissenting opinions in the Vicky Hernández case of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Arguments and statements emerging from these two authoritative recent sources coming from two arguably progressive jurisdictions exemplify continuing inadequacies of the dominant approach. Through a critical engagement with these arguments, supplemented by the discussion of the broader framework of international human rights law, the article not only points out the precise nature of the existing shortcomings but also formulates strategies for overcoming them.