Legal Literacy: A Tool for Women's Empowerment
Margaret Schuler (editor)
UNIFEM
OEF International, 1992
ISBN-10: 0912917253
ISBN-13: 978-0912917252
346 pages
Library of Congress Catalog Number:
92-091682
Legal literacy is commonly understood as knowing the “ABCs” of law. The conventional wisdom is that if women know what the law has to offer them they can improve their political, economic, and social condition. The simplistic view that mere knowledge of the law can transform women’s lives is a one-dimensional conception of legal literacy. This book challenges such limited definitions. It explores legal literacy as a process of self and social empowerment and an essential component in a broader strategy to achieve social justice. As a tool for women’s empowerment, legal literacy promotes women’s capacities to understand and critique the law and the scope of rights, to assert rights as a political resource, and to take action to change limiting definitions of gender roles, status and rights in the law and in daily practice.
Legal Literacy: A Tool for Women’s Empowerment presents experiences and strategic approaches to legal literacy from Asia, Africa and Latin America. The collection offers an eclectic mix of resources, agents, methods and strategies by which legal literacy and its long-term political goals are pursued. The contributors freely discuss strategy problems, the failure of certain methods and programs, and unrealized expectations, as well as positive and successful experiences. The authors’ frankness in discussing their central concerns, problems and strategic approaches gives value to this book as a facilitating instrument in the dialogue about legal literacy.
UNIFEM
OEF International, 1992
ISBN-10: 0912917253
ISBN-13: 978-0912917252
346 pages
Library of Congress Catalog Number:
92-091682
Legal literacy is commonly understood as knowing the “ABCs” of law. The conventional wisdom is that if women know what the law has to offer them they can improve their political, economic, and social condition. The simplistic view that mere knowledge of the law can transform women’s lives is a one-dimensional conception of legal literacy. This book challenges such limited definitions. It explores legal literacy as a process of self and social empowerment and an essential component in a broader strategy to achieve social justice. As a tool for women’s empowerment, legal literacy promotes women’s capacities to understand and critique the law and the scope of rights, to assert rights as a political resource, and to take action to change limiting definitions of gender roles, status and rights in the law and in daily practice.
Legal Literacy: A Tool for Women’s Empowerment presents experiences and strategic approaches to legal literacy from Asia, Africa and Latin America. The collection offers an eclectic mix of resources, agents, methods and strategies by which legal literacy and its long-term political goals are pursued. The contributors freely discuss strategy problems, the failure of certain methods and programs, and unrealized expectations, as well as positive and successful experiences. The authors’ frankness in discussing their central concerns, problems and strategic approaches gives value to this book as a facilitating instrument in the dialogue about legal literacy.