ESR Review Volume 12 No 4 - December 2011

This is the fourth issue of the ESR Review for 2011. Its articles discuss various areas of socio-economic rights, with a particular emphasis on how they relate to women’s lives. In an acknowledgment of the importance of women’s rights, Michelle Bachelet, the Under- Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, emphasises that ‘where laws and justice systems work well, they can provide an essential mechanism for women to realise their human rights. However, it also underscores the fact that, despite widespread guarantees of equality, the reality for many millions of women is that justice remains out of reach’ (UN progress report of the world’s women 2011– 2012, In pursuit of justice).