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Second semester University: Utrecht University., The increasing recognition that justice systems the world over are invariably “plural” poses challenges to both international development practitioners and human rights actors. A particular challenge is how to ensure that women, as a particularly vulnerable and marginalised group, can access justice in culturally diverse, legally plural settings, and how to ensure that the justice they access upholds their human rights. The publication by the CEDAW Committee of a general recommendation on access to justice in summer 2015, and its particular proposals in relation to plural justice systems, serve as my impetus for examining these issues afresh. This study seeks to draw conclusions about the different ways in which the CEDAW Committee and other human rights bodies conceptualise justice when they discuss plural justice systems in their authoritative statements, and whether this impacts on the way in which these bodies engage with plural justice systems. It takes legal empowerment, an innovative method for promoting women’s access to justice, as a particular focus point for gaining insight into the CEDAW Committee’s approach. The aim of the study is to understand whether, in the context of plural justice systems, the CEDAW Committee is somewhat behind the curve in terms of exploring and endorsing new pathways for pursing justice.

Second semester University: Maastricht University., “Gender-based violence against women is a widespread, grave and systematic human rights abuse that has remained significantly unaddressed by governments across the world”. Domestic violence is the most pervasive, insidious form of gender-based violence and it is still an ugly secret. Discrimination and structural inequality between women and men are the root causes. The State plays an important role in the struggle to combat domestic violence. Every State has an international obligation to respect, protect and fulfil women’s rights to be free from domestic violence. Insufficient State action is contributing to the universal phenomenon. This paper will provide an insight into the development of women’s rights in the international legal framework. There will be an analysis of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women and the Committee which monitors State compliance to this treaty. The numerous forms of gender-based violence will be unveiled with a focus on domestic violence. Ireland will be included as an example of insufficient State action regarding its international obligations to tackle domestic violence. Finally, recommendations will be made to effectively combat domestic violence and assist the victims.

Second semester University: Utrecht University., CEDAW is a specialised human rights treaty whose focus lies on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women. The Convention’s far-reaching approach aims not only at state discrimination, but also addresses its root causes in the private sphere. CEDAW has found nearly universal recognition, but has also witnessed a high number of controversial reservations to its core provisions, some evidently running counter to the object and purpose of the treaty. The Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties contains rules concerning reservations. For various reasons, those have been deemed inappropriate for human rights treaties. Therefore, in order to properly fulfil their functions, human rights treaty organs have explored their own ways to address reservations. The Committee has repeatedly expressed its concern about the high number of problematic reservations to CEDAW. It also routinely addresses them in the reporting process. However, there is still a lack of clarity on how incompatible reservations have to be dealt with, especially in the context of an individual complaint under the Optional Protocol. Therefore it is about time to formulate a new General Recommendation on the matter of reservations, which gives clear guidance to the participating states and also duly takes into account recent developments.