The University of Miami School of Law Human Rights Program hosts, in collaboration with the University of Miami International and Comparative Law Review, University of Miami Inter-American Law Review, Human Rights Society, Institute for the Advanced Study of the Americas, U.N. Women, the George Washington University Global Women's Institute, and the Lancet Commission on GBV and Maltreatment of Young People, a Gender Justice and Human Rights Symposium: “Holistic Approaches to Gender Violence” April 21-22, 2022.
“The need for deep reflection, innovative thinking, and joint strategizing with regards to GBV is urgent,” said the human rights program’s faculty director and Human Rights Clinic’s Acting Director Tamar Ezer. “COVID-19 has exacerbated GBV, leading U.N. Women to dub it, the ‘shadow pandemic.’ Moreover, the Black Lives Matter movement has added new impetus for taking a critical look at our overreliance on criminalization and underscored the importance of holistic responses, greater focus on prevention, attention to intersecting discrimination, and deeper engagement with communities.”
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women Reem Alsalem; former Inter-American Human Rights Commissioner Tracy Robinson; and Grammy-award singer and humanitarian Gloria Estefan will join dozens of other experts focusing on holistic approaches to gender-based violence. It seeks to connect local, national, regional, and global perspectives, drawing on innovative work worldwide. It will delve into four dimensions critical for addressing GBV, including prevention, systemic accountability, access to justice, and protection of survivors, and examine lessons and opportunities for practical implementation.
“The symposium affords us a unique opportunity to bridge theory and practice,” said the Human Rights Clinic’s Acting Associate Director Denisse Córdova Montes. “The two-day discussion will lead to significant local, national, and international policy recommendations that the Human Rights Program will seek to advance in partnership with advocates and movement leaders.”
Miami Law will also celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Human Rights Clinic, the advocacy arm of the Human Rights Program, which works to promote social and economic justice globally and in the U.S. Students gain firsthand experience in cutting-edge human rights litigation and advocacy at the local, national, regional, and international levels. Focus areas include gender and racial justice, immigrant and Indigenous women's rights, and the rights to housing, health, and food.
“From the first days of the Human Rights Clinic in 2011, Miami Law faculty and students have been engaged in cutting-edge international human rights litigation, domestic policy advocacy, community organizing, and global social movements,” said Professor Caroline Bettinger- López, the Human Rights Clinic’s founding director, now on leave and serving as the senior advisor on Gender and Equality with the U.S. Department of Justice. “A decade ago, our clinic hosted a major regional convening, Gender Justice in the Americas. This year, we are thrilled to have our students and faculty once again convening this major international symposium.”
The two-day event will be on the Coral Gables campus at the Lakeside Village Pavilion, 1280 Stanford Drive, Coral Gables, Florida 33146. The event is free and open to the public with pre-registration.
Masks are no longer required in indoor spaces on the Coral Gables campus. Individuals who wish to wear a mask for their protection are encouraged to do so. For the latest COVID-19 guidance at the University of Miami, visit https://coronavirus.miami.edu/index.html.
For more information, please contact HRP@law.miami.edu.
