Gender and the Constitution: Equity and Agency in Comparative Constitutional Design PDF
Preview Gender and the Constitution: Equity and Agency in Comparative Constitutional Design
P1:ICD 9780521881081pre CUFX261/Irving 9780521881081 December25,2007 3:14 This page intentionally left blank ii P1:ICD 9780521881081pre CUFX261/Irving 9780521881081 December25,2007 3:14 GENDERANDTHECONSTITUTION Many of the world’s constitutions were written in recent times, in some casesfollowingadramaticbreakwithanearliersystemofgovernment,and in others through a deliberate choice to modernize. Many older consti- tutions are currently under review. Whether old or new, no democratic constitution today can fail to recognize or provide for gender equality. Constitutionmakersneedtounderstandthatconstitutionsarehistorically “gendered”andremainso;theirprovisionsoftenhaveadisparateordiffer- entialimpactonwomen,evenwheretheyappeargenderneutral. This book considers what needs to be taken into account in writing a constitution when gender equity and agency are goals. It does so by examining principles of constitutionalism, constitutional jurisprudence, andhistoryandapplyinga“genderaudit”toexistingconstitutions. In addressing such issues, the book eschews a simple focus on equal- ityrightsandexaminesconstitutionallanguage,interpretation,structures anddistributionofpower,rulesofcitizenship,processesofrepresentation, andtheconstitutionalrecognitionofinternationalandcustomarylaw.Its discussionofrightstreatsequalityrightsandreproductiverightsasdistinct issuesforconstitutionaldesign. Helen Irving holds degrees in political science, anthropology, history, and law. She currently teaches in the Faculty of Law at the University of Sydney. Professor Irving has taught political science and law in several Australianuniversitiessinceherfirstappointmentin1977andwasvisiting professor at Harvard Law School from 2005 to 2006. She is the author of ToConstituteaNation:ACulturalHistoryofAustralia’sConstitutionand Five Things to Know about the Australian Constitution. She is also the editor of A Woman’s Constitution?: Gender and History in the Australian Commonwealth,TheCentenaryCompaniontoAustralianFederation,and UnityandDiversity:ANationalConversation,amongothers. i P1:ICD 9780521881081pre CUFX261/Irving 9780521881081 December25,2007 3:14 ii P1:ICD 9780521881081pre CUFX261/Irving 9780521881081 December25,2007 3:14 Gender and the Constitution EQUITY AND AGENCY IN COMPARATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN Helen Irving TheUniversityofSydney iii CAMBRIDGEUNIVERSITYPRESS Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB28RU, UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521881081 © Helen Irving 2008 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provision of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published in print format 2008 ISBN-13 978-0-511-37912-3 eBook (NetLibrary) ISBN-13 978-0-521-88108-1 hardback ISBN-13 978-0-521-70745-9 paperback Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of urls for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. P1:ICD 9780521881081pre CUFX261/Irving 9780521881081 December25,2007 3:14 Contents Acknowledgments pagevii Introduction 1 1 Framework 23 2 ConstitutionalLanguage 38 3 Federalism 65 4 Citizenship 90 5 Representation 109 6 TheConstitutionalCourt 134 7 EqualityRights 162 8 ReproductiveRights 191 9 InternationalandCustomaryLaw 219 10 Conclusions:AmendmentandCompliance 251 Index 260 v P1:ICD 9780521881081pre CUFX261/Irving 9780521881081 December25,2007 3:14 vi P1:ICD 9780521881081pre CUFX261/Irving 9780521881081 December25,2007 3:14 Acknowledgments In 2004, while teaching a course on comparative constitutionalism at Sydney Law School, I had the good fortune to come across a report on constitution making by Vivien Hart, written for the United States Insti- tute of Peace. Vivien’s ideas and mine seemed to run along similar lines. Myimpromptucorrespondencewithherledtoourcollaborationinearly 2005 on a UNDP paper on gender equity and constitution making with respect to Iraq. Here, we sought to identify, in a nutshell, all the things thatframersofanewconstitutionwouldneedtoconsiderifgenderequity wereamongtheirgoals.Inspiredbythiswork,Idevelopedacourse,Gen- der and Constitution-Making from Australia to Iraq, which I taught in springsemester2006atHarvardLawSchoolduringayearthereasvisiting professor and as Harvard Chair of Australian Studies. In 2007, I taught a modifiedversionofthiscourseatSydneyLawSchoolandpickedupmany last-minute ideas, as well as much encouragement, from my wonderful Sydneystudents. Thispresentbook,thus,grewoutofthethinkingandresearchthatbegan withVivienHart.Myfirstandgreatestthanks,therefore,gotoVivien,for suggestingourcollaborationandforhersupportandintellectualgenerosity sincethattime. IalsothanktheHarvardLawSchoolandthestudentswhosignedupfor an entirely new course in an emerging field, taught by a foreign visiting professor.ThefriendsImadeamongmyHarvardcolleagues,inparticular, Gabby Blum and Dick Fallon, helped me in many ways, probably more thantheyknew. I am indebted to John Berger, Senior Commissioning Editor at Cam- bridgeUniversityPress,forhisenthusiasmformybookproposalfromthe vii P1:ICD 9780521881081pre CUFX261/Irving 9780521881081 December25,2007 3:14 viii Acknowledgments start.IalsothanktheanonymousCambridgereviewersfortheirveryhelpful comments on early draft chapters. I acknowledge the valuable assistance oftheresearchassistantswhoworkedwithmeatdifferentstages:Rosalind Dixon and Natalie Waites at Harvard; Kylie Brass, Natasha McCarthy, SarahGavaghan,andLauraThomasatSydney. I have benefited from conversations, both real and virtual, with others whohavewrittenonthesubjectofgenderandconstitutionalism,includ- ingIsabelKarpin,JudithResnik,andKimRubenstein.IthankYashGhai forsharingwithmesomeofhisvastknowledgeandwisdomaboutworld constitutions and Sandy Maisel for speedy and helpful advice on detail. JohnWilliamsatAdelaideUniversityandSusanWilliamsatIndianaUni- versityinvitedmetotakepartinconferencesthatprovedtobeimportant forthinkingaboutthisbook.Indevelopingmyideasaboutgenderandciti- zenship,inparticular,Iamgreatlyindebted,personallyandintellectually, toLindaCardinal. I am deeply grateful to the Faculty of Law at the University of Sydney forongoingencouragementand,asever,tomyfamily,Stephen,Cressida, andHugh,fortheirsupportandlove. Iremain,ofcourse,entirelyresponsibleforanyerrors.
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