HIST 450 – Women’s History and Gender Equality Policies

Equality between women and men is a fundamental principle of every democratic political and legal system. As such, it is commonly recognized in national constitutions and international treaties. Also, it represents one of the more pressing and cross-cutting issues of our time. It is not accidental that the United Nations have placed gender equality among the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals to be achieved by 2030. Eradicating inequalities between sexes, thus improving the lives of all, is a prerequisite for the sustainability of the planet. Such an issue is not only environmental but economic and social, too.

The course will explore the long road to equality for women and the main current problems that are at the heart of the so-called “gender question.” To that purpose, a comparative approach between the USA and Europe will be used. Special attention will be given to the biographies of those women who contributed to the affirmation of equality rights as well as to progress in different fields of knowledge. The first part of the course is dedicated to women’s history, highlighting their role in society from classical antiquity onwards and their struggles for civil, political and social rights during the Nineteenth and Twentieth centuries. The focus will be on the effects of the two world wars on the status of women and on the role played by the United Nations and the European Economic Community for the affirmation of women’s rights. The first half of the course will end with an outlook on the current state of the feminist movements and their future challenges. The second part of the course is devoted to the analysis of the main questions at the heart of the current debate on gender equality. It will be a journey along the lives of women and men in order to appreciate the factors affecting the so-called “gender gap” from childhood onwards. Issues such as gender stereotypes in fairy tales, gender segregation in school and university choices, women’s underrepresentation in the labour market and politics will also be addressed. The final part of the course will be devoted to gender-based violence, a multifaceted global phenomenon that affects one woman in three.

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

• critically describe the main stages of women’s history in Europe and in the USA throughout the centuries; – underline the contribution of the UN and the EEC/EU to the advancement of women’s rights;
• have a sound knowledge of “gender vocabulary”;
• identify the current issues at the heart of the “gender question”, demonstrating a good level of gender awareness;
• observe their daily lives from a gender perspective, contributing to breaking down stereotypes and discrimination.