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Emeritus Professor Diane Elson

Human Rights and Economic Policy

I have investigated the implications of neoliberal economic policies for women’s human rights and identified policies that would be more supportive of these rights.

‘Gender justice, human rights and neo-liberal economic policies’ in M. Molyneux and S. Razavi (eds.) Gender Justice, Development and Rights, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2002.

(with J. Gideon) ‘Organising for Women’s Economic and Social Rights: How Useful is the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights’, Journal of Interdisciplinary Gender Studies, 8 (1 and 2) 2004.

In German in Widerspruch 50, Beitrage zu sozialistischer Politik, 26. Jg.1, 2006. Reprinted in D. Otto (ed.) Gender Issues and Human Rights, Vol. III, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, 2013.

‘ “Women’s rights are human rights”: campaigns and concepts’ in L. Morris (ed.) Rights: Sociological Perspectives, Routledge, London, 2006.

‘The reduction of the UK budget deficit: a human rights perspective’, International Review of Applied Economics, 26(2) 2012.

‘Securing the social and economic rights of women in economic policy making’ in N. Reilly (ed.) Human Rights of Women, Springer, 2018.

(with Marion Sharples) ‘Addressing intersecting inequalities through alternative economic strategies’ in S. Atrey and S. Fredman (eds.) Exponential Inequalities: Equality Law in Times of Crisis, Oxford, OUP, 2023.

Together with Radhika Balakrishnan and James Heintz, I have analysed the human rights obligations of governments and how far economic policy is meeting them.

(with R. Balakrishnan) ‘Auditing Economic Policy in the Light of Obligations on Economic and Social Rights’, Essex Human Rights Review 5 (1) 2008.

(ed. with R. Balakrishnan) Economic Policy and Human Rights Obligations: Holding Governments to Account, Zed Press, London, 2011.

(with Aydinar-Avsar, N.) ‘Human Rights and Public Expenditure in USA’ and ‘Trade policy and human rights obligations of USA’ in (ed. with R. Balakrishnan) Economic Policy and Human Rights Obligations, Zed Press, London, 2011.

(with R. Balakrishnan and J. Heintz) ‘Financial Regulation, Capabilities and Human Rights in the US Financial Crisis: the Case of Housing’, Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, 12(1) 2011.

Reprinted in D. Elson, S. Fukuda-Parr and P. Vizard (eds.) Human Rights and the Capabilities Approach. An Interdisciplinary Dialogue, Routledge, London, 2012.

(with R. Balakrishnan and J. Heintz) 'Public Finance, Maximum Available Resources and Human Rights' in A. Nolan , R. O'Connell and C. Harvey (eds.) Human Rights and Public Finance: Budget Analysis and the Advancement of Economic and Social Rights, Hart Publishing, Oxford. 2013.

(with R. Balakrishnan and J. Heintz) Rethinking Economics for Social Justice: The Radical Potential of Human Rights, Routledge, London, 2016.

Most recently I have considered the relation between property rights and human rights.

‘Equality, Resilience and Sustainability: Rebalancing Commercial Rights and Economic and Social Rights to Create More Equal Economies’ in P. Arestis and M. Sawyer (eds.) Economic Policies for Sustainability and Resilience, London, Palgrave Macmillan, 2021.

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